Does anyone know if the colour images from the Mars Spirit rover are online anywhere? Or do I just need to keep checking back here?

The Matthew Sweet Japan-only album I was all agog over a few months ago, Kimi Ga Suki, is finally getting a North American domestic release on January 20. This is the album that reunites Sweet with the Girlfriend-era band, and it’s some of his best work in years. This is good news for those who don’t want to shell out $40-$50 for the import. Also good news is that his new album Living Things is scheduled for a May/June release.

File this one under “finally” as well – one of my favorite movies ever, The Commitments, is getting the deluxe double DVD treatment this year. I was really disappointed when it finally came out on DVD last year but was a lame fullscreen, no bonus goodies version. The deluxe set has commentary from director Alan Parker, a making-of documentary, a look back at the band today, videos, songs, etc. Good show. Look for it March 16.

Low are assembling a box set of rarities of b-sides which “will contain 3 cds full of stuff and a dvd with the videos and marc gartman’s documentary, plus a 32 page booklet”. As of December 19th of last year, the band was hoping for a summer release but Insound already has A Lifetime Of Temporary Relief: B-Sides And Rarities scheduled for a March 2 release. While sooner is better than later, I will believe the Mormons on this one. They are also recording a new full-length album for Fall release.

Calexico’s still-untitled follow up to Feast Of Wire will be out April 6th.

Ray Davies of The Kinks was shot while chasing down a purse-snatcher in New Orleans on Sunday night. It wasn’t serious, and he was treated and released from hospital.

Neil Gaiman brings us up to speed on the status of his lawsuit against Todd McFarlane. Complete with 39-minute mpg of court proceedings!

I re-watched David O Russell’s Three Kings last night, and besides being reminded what a brilliant movie it is, I was struck by how frighteningly current it still is, despite being set over a decade ago.

Bush In 30 Seconds – the finalists. Watch some of these. The shaking sensation you’re feeling throughout your body? Yeah, that’s rage. Or maybe despair.

np – The Delgados / Hate

Picked up a neat compilation on the weekend, Beyond Nashville: The Twisted Heart Of Country Music. It’s a double-disc that seeks to document the history and present of the alt.country/y’alternative/americana movement. The first disc covers the forebears of the movement, with tracks from Jimmie Rodgers, Hank Williams, Gram Parsons, Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard amongst many others while the second disc covers current artists (Ryan Adams, Son Volt, Alejandro Escovedo and Lambchop, as a sample). There’s a great variety of stuff on tap for fans of the genre. There’ve been a couple more albums in the series, Further Beyond Nashville and Way Beyond Nashville which have even more eclectic tracklists. They’re imports, but worth seeking out if you’re into the twang.

Radiohead live mp3s, covers, etc. From LHB.

I finished watching season three of Six Feet Under yesterday (thank you, Kazaa) and was glad that a somewhat drab season ended on a more interesting note. When does season four kick off?

Everyone who comes here for the cover mp3 of the week owes one Mark Fisher a hearty thanks. As I’ve mentioned before, my own stash of material was starting to dry up a little, and Mark has donated a large collection of very cool stuff to the archives, and they’ll all be getting a turn in the spotlight throughout the upcoming months. It’s like someone bequeathing a lifetime’s collection of Hustler to the public library. Yes, it’s that good. Thanks.

Okay, holidays are over. I expect everyone to be back to full speed, hard at work posting interesting links and news bits for me to filch. Chop chop, people!

np – Steve Earle / Train A Comin’

The Google Zeitgeist for 2004. Who would have thought Britney Spears would still be so popular? I guess pulling stunts like getting married in Vegas this weekend will help keep you in the tabloid headlines… Links from Stereogum. Update: What’s that? You want to see the marraige certificate? For shame, surely you have better things to do? From Whatevs.org.

School Of Rock was the most inspiring music movie I’ve ever seen. Ok, not really, but it was still a whole lot of fun. No, it’s not original by any stretch, but it’s well done, Jack Black is a riot, you don’t want to throttle any of the kids and I’ll take one of these films over two-dozen Dead Poets Society rip-offs anyday.

I do not want to go back to work tomorrow.

np – The Decemberists / Castaways And Cutouts

Last night I watched Battle Royale, the infamous Japanese film about 42 grade 9 students being taken to a deserted island, assigned a variety of weapons and forced to hunt and kill each other until there’s only one left standing. Sound demented? I thought so too, but it wasn’t as much as I’d expected. I had expected something sort of campy or over the top, but it’s actually played fairly straight, which makes it that much more unsettling. Instead of crazy martial arts fight sequences between kids in school uniforms, you have terrified adolescents running for their lives and killing their friends in order to survive. Lord Of The Flies meets Predator with some Dawson’s Creek thrown in. There are a number of bits that you want to laugh out loud at, but you catch yourself because you’re not really sure if it’s meant to be funny. Part of me wishes Hollywood would remake this film if for no other reason than to see all the WB teeny-bopper tween stars hunt each other down. Just imagine – Hillary Duff gutting one of those dudes from The O.C before being gunned down by the Olsen Twins, who have a duel to the death at the very end of it all. Sounds like a winner to me. Sidenote: One of the girl students went on to play Go-Go Yubari in Kill Bill Vol 1 – hence the school uniform.

The Globe & Mail offers a surprisingly hip salute to the Canadian indie rock scene of 2003.

Ryan Adams leaves a rather, er, hostile message on Chicago Sun-Times music columnist Jim DeRogatis’ answering machine.

Toronto’s By Divine Right recently toured China. The Toronto Star reports on the surreal experience.

Tanya Donelly’s still-untitled new album is scheduled for an early Spring release.

The buzz seems to be that Joss Whedon (Buffy The Vampire Slayer) is taking over the scripting chores on New X-Men after Grant Morrison leaves in a few months. This could be good, as Whedon is a great writer, but awful, as Whedon is slower than molasses on a glacier. Worse, apparently, than Kevin Smith who managed to turn Daredevil from a monthly series into a maybe five-issues-a-year title if you’re lucky.

np – Tanya Donelly / Beautysleep

You know what’s going on today? Nothing. Got the day off, just lazing about. A little reading, a little video gaming. We seem to be having a warm snap right now, which I am going to go out and enjoy since according to the Weather Network, we’ll have highs of a balmy -12 Centigrade next Thursday.

Yes, we are talking about the weather. You know it was going to happen sooner or later.

np – Steve Earle / Jerusalem