Traffic delays

So, Stephen Malkmus' new album Mirror Traffic was officially released on 22nd August, but I've just been told I won't be receiving my pre-ordered copy until late September as the supplier is awaiting stock. No doubt a consequence of the Sony warehouse fire, which housed a lot of Domino's stock. Damn you, rioters, for standing between me and the follow-up to the SWSL Album Of The Year 2008.

Produced by Beck and featuring Janet Weiss on drums for the last time, Mirror Traffic has been a long time coming - several songs were aired at 10 Years Of ATP way back in December 2009, including the much-talked-about 'Senator'. Presumably the Pavement reunion got in the way. The album generally seems to have been well received - even if, predictably, it's being compared favourably to Real Emotional Trash's "meandering, proggy excesses", the exact things for which I loved its predecessor...

In other album news, Los Campesinos! have announced their newie called Hello Sadness (how very them) will be released in November. Apparently it's "a bare bones documentation of breaking up" - and breaking up's what seems to be happening to the original septet, with the news that violinist Harriet is following drummer Ollie out of the door and, like original vocalist/keyboard player Aleks, is returning to her studies. I found Romance Is Boring a bit, erm, boring, so it'll be interesting to see whether Hello Sadness can rekindle my enthusiasm for a band I've been championing almost from the very beginning.

Meanwhile, I've decided the time's come to invest in a Tinariwen album, plumping for the latest star-studded effort Tassili, as well as snapping up more of the Melvins back catalogue in advance of seeing King Buzzo and friends again in Cardiff at the end of the month. Off to see HEALTH tonight for my first taste of live action in what feels like ages - that might precipitate some further purchases too...