Former Ash guitarist Charlotte Hatherley is finally getting the follow-up to her 2004 solo debut Grey Will Fade together. Where that record was a supremely hooky collection of power pop, she describes The Deep Blue, out in the UK in March, as “a more ethereal, thoughtful work, informed by her love of Kate Bush, David Bowie and Mercury Rev” which will also include a co-write with XTC’s Andy Partridge.

The first single is “Behave”, which will be released as an EP on December 18 and which you can hear on her MySpace right now. I’ve also got a radio rip of another new song which someone graciously sent me (sorry, forget who). Both of these songs are held up as examples of her retaining the pop exuberance of her first record. She also talks a bit to Soundgenerator about starting her own label to release the record.

I’m a little sorry I forgot to post the vid for “Summer” from Grey Will Fade when it was actually still warm out – one of the finest sunshiney anthems of recent memory. But maybe now that it’s cold and grey out, it’s even more fitting? Either way, great song whatever time of year it is. Oh, and the video isn’t streaming so you’ll have to wait for all 8 MB to download before it plays. Sorry. The “Bastardo” video is pretty fun, too.

MP3: Charlotte Hatherley – “I Want You To Know” (radio rip)
Video: Charlotte Hatherley – “Summer” (WMV)
Video: Charlotte Hatherley – “Bastardo” (YouTube)
MySpace: Charlotte Hatherley

Also coming soon – Green Mansions, a super-limited, one-sided vinyl EP from Saturday Looks Good To Me due out in February or March in advance of their next full-length, Fill Up The Room, which will be out later in the year. The band has put up some live MP3s on their MySpace from June of this year that includes one of the songs that will appear on the aforementioned new full-length.

Mercury Rev drummer Jeff Mercel talks to Billboard about the band’s two latest releases – the Stillness Breathes: 1991 – 2006 retrospective and the Hello Blackbird soundtrack. He also confirms the band is beginning work on a new album.

Cat Power gives Harp a characteristically frank interview about her breakdown earlier this year, her pending deal with Chanel, stalking Bob Dylan and reveals her given name is Charlene (or Charlyn, as it’s apparently correctly spelled). For some reason this little bit of trivia shifted my reality juuuust a little bit. She also talks to The Globe & Mail about where she’s at now.

MuchMusic sat down for an interview with Malajube before their show in Toronto Saturday night (which NOW has a glowing review of). Apparently they enjoyed the chat so much that keyboardist Thomas Augustin stage-dove on top of the interviewer that evening, giving her a beaut of a shiner. Those crazy Quebecois.

The Yoko Casionos tell NOW about the time their guitarist was kidnapped in Calgary by crackheads. For real. They’re at the Kool Haus tonight opening for Sloan, whose Andrew Scott talked to Radio Free Canuckistan back in September. The Yokos are also playing Wavelength at Sneaky Dee’s on December 3.

Josh Ritter will be undertaking a solo acoustic tour in the new year that includes a stop at the Horseshoe on February 15. Finally, 2007 shows!

Newsarama reports that Preacher, one of the best and audacious comic books of the past ten years, will be developed into a television series by HBO. This is far more exciting and appropriate than the feature film idea that had been kicking around for a while with James Marsden attached as Jesse Custer.

np – +/- / Self-Titled Long-Playing Debut Album