I’ve mentioned before that I was approaching MirrorMask with some degree of trepidation – having been a longtime fan of both Messrs Gaiman and McKean, I had a pretty good idea of the ways in which it could either be a triumph or a failure… and let’s just say they didn’t disappoint. On either count.

Even if it didn’t have his name on it, the story is immediately recognizable as quintissential Gaiman. Many of his favourite plot devices appear – circuses, dreams, cuckoos, young heroines, queens, etc etc. In fact, it’s the sort of thing that Gaiman could knock off in his sleep, which is in itself a bit of a letdown. There’s some inspired moments of dialogue and ideas, but they’re too few and far between – it’s mostly Gaiman cribbing from his own (and others’) work. I’d have hoped that for his proper debut as feature film screenwriter, he’d have come up with something more original, but considering that he took the same sort of play-it-safe route when he moved from comics to novels, I’m not really surprised. But considering that his novels have gotten progressively better with each try, if that trend holds for his film work it bodes well for the future.

But really, MirrorMask isn’t about the narrative. That’s just the vehicle upon which Dave McKean loads the film’s real appeal – the visuals. It’s not too much of a stretch to say that there’s never been a film that looks like MirrorMask. The mix of live-action and CGI is

presented through a gauzey, fantasy filter that works quite well at forcing you to suspend all disbelief in what you’re seeing. Any fan of McKean’s work will find much to appreciate in the almost two hours of eye candy that MirrorMask offers – the amount of detail and unbridled creativity on display is something to behold. His achievements as a first-time director are less remarkable, as the pacing of the film drags at points and there’s no real sense of dramatic escalation as the story progresses. It just kind of meanders from setting to setting with vague quest points being accomplished along the way. So while I can’t really say MirrorMask is a very good movie, on the whole, it is still something to behold and should remain a must-see on those merits for Gaiman and McKean fans alike.

The recently departed Six By Seven haven’t quite had the last word yet. They’re assembling a double-disc set of rarities and whatsits for release early next year on their old label, Beggars Banquet. Drowned In Sound interviewed Chris Olley back in September about the dissolution of the band and plans for the future.

Chart talks to Elbow in advance of their show at the Distillery tonight as part of the Ukula Bright Lights Festival. And don’t forget – this is the last day to enter the Elbow Haiku contest to win an autographed copy of Leaders Of The Free World! Click ye olde banner up above for deets.

The Independent declares The National are “the band who may just have made the year’s best album”. You know I’m not going to disagree.

Jeff Tweedy explains to Ann Arbor Live the reasoning for doing a solo tour on the eve of the release of Wilco’s live album, Kicking Television, on November 15. Via Largehearted Boy.

The best part of the latest Ashlee Simpson flameout is that it happened just blocks away from where I live. I can’t help but feel touched by greatness, somehow.

np – The Morning After Girls / Prelude: EP’s 1 & 2

Catbirdseat make me happy with news that Saturday Looks Good To Me’s All Your Summer Songs will be reissued in vinyl form this December. I actually just tried to buy a copy and was denied by non-up-to-date dealer inventory listings – I should have known that it’d be too good to be true, since the original pressing was a limited edition of 1000 pieces. I can’t find any other info about this reissue, but I have faith in the Catbirdseat and his sources.

SLGTM are good about making their vinyl must-haves in addition to the CD issues. Summer Songs contains two bonus tracks while the LP edition of last year’s Every Night featured several different mixes of songs from the digital version. This album pre-dates the Betty Marie Barnes hotness of the current lineup, but it’s still a great record. If you’ve never heard it, check out “Underwater Heartbeat”, and then go out and buy it. Because you know you’ll want to.

MP3: Saturday Looks Good To Me – “Underwater Heartbeat”

Not too much news in SLGTM land, otherwise. I think this Home Recording Series compilation featuring three SLGTM songs is pretty new, and hopefully plans for a new double-album next year are still on. I dug up this interview with How Does It Feel To Be Loved? where Fred Thomas talks about indiepop, but besides that? Not much. But any excuse to post a pic of Ms Barnes is, to me, a good one.

Beth Orton slipped off my radar some time ago with the lacklustre Daybreaker, and her case wasn’t helped that her next two releases were compilations (of Daybreaker b-sides and a best-of). So I wasn’t really initially interested when I saw this Billboard piece about her new album Comfort Of Strangers, out February 7, but when I reached the bit about the record being produced by Jim O’Rourke, then I paid attention. Loved by many, hated by many, I count myself as one who definitely likes the angles he can bring to a project, like the last two Wilco records. Orton is at her best when she’s not just being a folkie (her electronic-inflected debut Trailer Park, for example), and O’Rourke could be just the guy to get her out of her rut. I won’t out Comfort Of Strangers on my “to buy” list just yet, but I will definitely be paying attention when it comes out. And I’m going to put Trailer Park on my iPod.

Glide talks to My Morning Jacket drummer Patrick Hallahan about the long and winding road from It Still Moves to Z.

Each Note Secure has got an interview with Grandaddy’s Jason Lyttle/ They talk about the new EP Excerpts From The Diary Of Toddzilla, and a bit about what to expect from the next full-length, which could be due around April of next year.

Rob Dickimson says “thanks” to everyone who came out to see him on his recent mini-tour via MySpace blog. Via Bradley’s Almanac. If you missed them the first time around, here’s my pics and review of Rob’s show in Toronto last month.

So iPod question of the day – I’ve already loaded scads of albums onto mine, but not album art. Is there a way to get the artwork onto the iPod without having to re-up the whole record again (after downloading the artwork and associating it locally via iTunes)? I tried dragging the art directly onto the album on the iPod when it was hooked up, but while it seemed to be doing someting, it doesn’t seem to have worked. This thing looks like it could be helpful locally, but not with the iPod tracks. And, uh, I have no idea how to install it. It’s a widget? What’s a widget?

And I’ve come to the conclusion that my inbox is a frickin’ mess. If I owe you a reply, I apologize, it’s been one of those “barely keeping head above water” sort of weeks. I’ll try to get to them, um, soon. Ish.

np – Okkervil River / Down The River Of Golden Dreams

There’s been a dearth of Mojave 3 news to report this year, but thankfully that drought appears to be ending. Neil Halstead has provided Mojave3online.com with a sneak preview MP3 from what will be the new M3 album, due out hopefully around March of next year. Says Neil:

“Trk is called “Big star baby” and will be on the new record. The version I’m sending is a rough version of the tune and is really a moniter mix, but we hope you like it

The record is coming on good now. We have got Victor Van Vugt to mix the record for us. He’s worked with Beth Orton, Nick Cave and a few others. The mixes he’s done so far sound awesome ( he hasn’t mixed big star yet)…way better than the mixes we were doing..were having a few problems in the studio in cornwall. There was a mouse invasion over the summer and we never quite recovered”.

Seeing as how it’s still an early mix, it’s probably premature to review the track in too great depth, but it’s a compact, jaunty number that wouldn’t have sounded out of place on Out Of Tune – it’s certainly poppier than your typical Mojave 3 track. Have a listen:

MP3: Mojave 3 – “Big Star Baby (demo)”

The only other bits of remotely M3-related content I can add is a reminder that the Slowdive reissues are out in a couple weeks, on November 14.

The New Pornographers wrapped up their Twin Cinema tour last week with a bang – literally. Bassist John Collins’ appendix burst after the show in Chicago, necessitating the cancellation of the last couple shows of the tour in Minneapolis and Madison. There is a pre-appendicitis piece on the band at the The Minneapolis Star-Tribune (Bugmenot) and Glide also has a feature story.

Okkervil River’s Will Sheff insists to NOW that he’s not the black sheep boy. Really. Go see Okkervil River at Lee’s on Monday. The Torontoist week in shows thus decrees. So far, none of the other local rags have given Okkervil any love. Fools, fools!

Here are the photos from Tuesday night’s Spoon/Mary Timony show. And as a reward for waiting, check out some Gimme Fiction videos, including the new one for “Sister Jack” which SF Weekly pans in their piece on indie rock videos available around the internet. You know, some links would have been helpful. Jerks.

Tilly & The Wall are currently in the studio recording their follow-up to Wild Like Children… and they’re blogging the experience.

Being There looks at the immeasureable influence of Bob Dylan, including a look at his peers, forbears and followers.

The Pitch gives a shout-out to my MP3 of the week feature. Thanks!

np – Rob Dickinson / Fresh Wine For The Horses

It’s always interesting to see a band twice in a short span of time, especially when they’re touring the same album. Case in point, Spoon, who had been through town just five months ago in support of Gimme Fiction. Last time through they put on a good show, though it took them a little while to find their groove. I don’t remember how early on in the touring schedule that show was, but I was curious to see what effect the intervening months of constant performances had had on the band and their sound.

I don’t know if it was the world touring or just the last couple days of travel that did it, but last night something was definitely different with the band. Thanks to the Vegoose festival, Spoon had a most roundabout itinerary, playing Detroit on Saturday, Las Vegas on Sunday and then arriving in the Big Smoke on Monday night for last night’s Toronto show. Now I try to avoid London, Ontario as much as the next guy but routing your tour through Nevada to do so is proabably a little excessive… either way, apparently Spoon was quite well-rested for last night’s gig, and the rest must have done them good because they played the best show I’ve ever seen them put on. I’ve only seen them three times, sure, but it was still the best of those, hands down.

The set list didn’t seem too different from what they played in June, maybe a little heavier on the catalog material, but the execution was excellent. They found their edge from the get-go and didn’t let up – I found a certain raggedness and maniacism in their performance that I didn’t see last time, and it definitely suits them. The extra energy on display really engaged the crowd as well, which was a pretty good size considering the band has been through town not long ago at all. The cozier stage of the Phoenix over the Opera House probably helped as well, and it was good to see that the bassist, at least, had taken my advice from last time and was moving around the stage quite a bit, offering some dancing support to Britt Daniel and his happy feet. But whatever the reason, I will have to amend my one-line synopsis on Spoon live from “they put on a good show” to “they usually put on a good show, but sometimes they put on a GREAT show”. QED.

Support for this tour was Mary Timony, a bit of an odd choice. I’d not heard any of her solo stuff, but did have a couple of Helium records back in the day. I didn’t really get on with them, but I had ’em. Anyway, I wasn’t going to let the fact that she was playing this date and not American Music Club sour me on her set prematurely, but I am still a little grumpy that AMC are joining the tour in just a few days. Anyway. The Mary Timony band, as she called them, was actually just Mary and a drummer – sort of a reverse-gender White Stripes configuration though more informed by prog than the blues. Though both Mary and drummer boy could play quite well, they weren’t exactly lockstep – sloppiness was evident at more than a few points. Luckily for them, it actually sort of added to the performance rather than detract. Both of them seemed to be having such a good time that it seemed kind of unsporting to call them on falling out of time with one another here and there, and it did slowly come together in time for set closer “9×3” which featured a terrific bit of back and forth jamming. Mary was particularly animated on stage, coming oh so close to a windmill or scissor kick, but never quite following through. If she had, that would have made the set.

And yes, there are photos. No you can’t see them now. Come back tomorrow. Update: Okay, we got photo action happening now.

The National tell The Daily News how they all gave up cushy day jobs in the name of rock. All hail. From Largehearted Boy.

Kevin Drew tells CMJ that there is absolutely no particular reason that Broken Social Scene’s Broken Social Scene is called Broken Social Scene.

Being There offers an dummy’s guide to the world of Guided By Voices. GuidedByRobertPollard.com is a fansite that endeavours to do the same. RobertPollard.net is the new home on the web for all things Bob, including news of the release of Suitcase 2 this week and the release of his first proper post-GBV solo album From A Compound Eye on January 24 of next year, courtesy of the good people at Merge.

Alas, poor Splendid. You will be missed.

The AP (via The Globe & Mail) gets a sneak preview as to what we can expect from this Sunday’s live live live debate episode of The West Wing. Sounds awesome – I am hoping that mid-episode both candidates bring out surprise new running mates. Rick Schroder for Jimmy Smits and Mike Farrell for Alan Alda. That would rule. I would vote for the M*A*S*H* ticket, GOP or not.

np – Catlow / Kiss The World

Poptones poses their always entertaining “Questions Of Doom” to Belle & Sebastian mastermind on their website. As reported last week, Belle & Sebastian’s new album The Life Pursuit will be out February 6 in the UK and be preceded by a single on January 16. And in the meantime, Revolution In The Head has another batch of B&S covers for your listening pleasure. The “Billie Jean” cover reminds of how sublimely they covered The Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” two years ago at Massey Hall, and how I’ve never found a recording of either that show or any show where they tackle that gem. Anyone got it?

Spoon tells the Freep it’s good to be back home after touring abroad this Summer. Technically, they’re abroad again tonight, in Toronto for a show at the Phoenix. They just flew in from Vegoose in Vegas late last night/early this morning, hope they get some rest!

Jeff Tweedy continues to talk to Billboard, this time about the new Loose Fur album due in the Spring and upcoming recording sessions for a new Golden Smog record due, well, whenever.

The BBC is offering the video for the title track of the new Elbow album, Leaders Of The Free World. I hope you’ve all noticed the little contest banner up in the corner? It took me nearly 10 minutes to put together, so I do hope you appreciate it. The Elbow haikus are coming in, I’m looking forward to picking the best two and posting them for all to see. And scoff. Video link via Torr.

Want to hear a stream of one of the songs members of Pulp and Radiohead are contributing to the soundtrack for Harry Potter & The Goblet Of Fire? Click here. They also appear as the Wyrd Sisters in the film, which is out Friday November 18.

Sufjan-mania has spread across the Atlantic. It’s like the bird flu. The Guardian profiles the 50-statesman. Via Largehearted Boy.

Exclaim! speaks briefly with Rogue Wave but makes up for the brevity of the article with one big honking picture.

Choose-your-own-adventure Homestar Halloween!

np – Drive-By Truckers / The Dirty South