Margot & The Nuclear So And So’s new/debut record The Dust Of Retreat comes out today and The Indianapolis Star has an expansive article about their favourite native sons (and daughter). The band is also used as an example of “intellectually sensitive” bands whooping it up at SxSW last week by Connecticuit Music. There’s also an audio interview with the band recorded at SxSW at Gen Art Pulse. I posted a couple tracks from the album in my last Margot post but also check out their ecard for more samples, videos and miscellania here. Finally, a reminder that they’re at Lee’s Palace on April 3. You should go.

Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips tells The San Francisco Chronicle that he doesn’t do drugs and that it’s hard to get fake blood out of his suits.

Billy Bragg talks to CNN about being influenced by Bob Dylan and Margaret Thatcher. Bradley’s Almanac has recordings of Billy’s recent Boston show for grabbing.

The new album from The Sleepy Jackson will be out July 25 and look for a new Fountains Of Wayne album sometime this Fall.

Some shows – Band Of Horses are at Lee’s Palace on June 13 with Mt Egypt. tickets $10, while Islands and a host of their friends including Frog Eyes, Sunset Rubdown, Cadence Weapon and Bus Driver, will be at the Opera House on May 19 for an all ages show, tickets $13. Also, Rainer Maria will be at the Horseshoe for what will hopefully be an emo-free bill on May 15.

But don’t look for any tour dates for Morrissey anytime soon – he hates Canada.

Monkey vs Robot – my money is on Robot.

So yesterday was the first full day in Taipei and it was a drencher. Didn’t stop raining for pretty much the whole day, and this was no namby-pamby rain. But still, we were able to head downtown for a little look-see, mainly in a system of fancy-pants malls outside Taipei 101, which currently holds the much-asterixed title of “tallest building in the world”. It was way too cloudy to go up, so perhaps I’ll be able to defend my hometown phallus’ honour another day. But most interesting was looking through the CD section in a huge international bookstore in one of the malls. It was quite small, but well-stocked with releases from Art Of Fighting, Smoosh, +/-, Vashti Bunyan, Trembling Blue Stars and Explosions In The Sky – and all at quite good prices. I had no idea what to make of this, but it made me happy.

Today we’re off to Japan. I believe we’re going to see some deer. If you want to follow along with pictures, I’ve got a set for this trip on my Flickr page.