Everyone have a nice break? Yeah? Good. Me too. Back to work tomorrow, though. Anyways.

I mentioned in this week’s MP3 of the week writeup that the Six By Seven compilation Any Colour So Long As It’s Black, long-discussed but never realized, was finally out. Six By Seven’s discography and history is long and convoluted, numbering countless members, at least one maybe two complete breakups, six studio albums, two odds and sods collections and a slew of b-sides and yet it’s all condensed down to eleven album tracks, one EP track and five remixes.

I only have a couple of the remixes but considering the studio tracks, they’ve actually done quite a decent job of encapsulating the breadth of the band’s work as well as eliciting that age-old question, “why weren’t they bigger?”. Their first four records were terrifically energizing slabs of rock, saturated with vitriol and just the right amount of tunefulness. The last couple, including this year’s official “comeback” record If Symptoms Persist Kill Your Doctor, had moments but didn’t have the same kick as the earlier work, even with the return of most of the original lineup including guitarist Sam Hempton, who left after 2000’s monolithic The Closer You Get.

It’s a compact package that certainly gives a taste for what the band was/is about and will ideally encourage a new listener to seek out the full records – but it’s certainly not a replacement for owning the complete discography. Which you should. At least part of, at least. As for those of us who already have all the material, there’s the DVD component (almost certainly in region 2/PAL, for North Americans thinking of picking it up) which collects all the band’s videos – most of which are tragically absent from YouTube though there are now a number of decent-quality live videos – as well as some live performances and a short film about the band. It’s also worth noting that there’s plans for a second collection with more album tracks, which may render the first line of this paragraph irrelevant, and recordings from their John Peel sessions which will make that one much more essential for those already fans of the band. Which should be everyone.

MP3: Six By Seven – “Bochum (You Light Up My Life)”
MP3: Six By Seven – “IOU Love”
Video: Six By Seven – “Ready For You Now” (YouTube)”
Video: Six By Seven – “Nowhere To Go But Home” (YouTube)”
MySpace: Six By Seven

Australia’s Devastations are set to release their new album Yes, U, which is out over here on February 5. Check out the first MP3 from it down below. They still owe us a show after their cancelled show last November so hopefully that’ll be in the offing soon. The Age talked to the band about their new album.

MP3: Devastations – “Mistakes”

Coincidentally, the band that I went to see in lieu of Devastations that night, Beach House, are also coming back with a new record and local date. Devotion is out February 26 and they will play dozy songs from it at the El Mocambo on March 28. Have a taste.

MP3: Beach House – “Gila”

Also coming to town – Bob Mould is back at the Mod Club on March 10 playing songs from Husker Du, Sugar and his new one District Line, out February 5.

Blonde Redhead play a session for Spinner’s Interface.

Billboard has the long list of nominees this year’s Shortlist Of Music prize, a grab bag far too long to be meaningful. The top ten, which though not necessarily more meaningful will at least be easier to be indignant about, will be announced early next year and the winner chosen shortly thereafter.