The New Music

Morrissey has lashed out at his record label and called his latest b-sides collection Swords a “meek disaster.” In a post on fan site True To You, Moz said “It was proposed and accepted as a budget-priced CD, yet emerged everywhere as the most expensive CD in the racks. It was poorly distributed and didn’t stand a chance, and ranks as the lowest chart position I’ve ever encountered.” No surprises then that he’s parted with the label.

Indie music/film’s perfect couple Sofia Coppola and Thomas Mars of Phoenix have announced they’re expecting another baby. Mars told Chicago’s WXRT confirmed girlfriend Coppola was pregnant, adding he’s already decided on some womb music. “I heard the story that if you play Bach, [babies in the womb] get smarter.” The couple have a 3-year-old daughter named Romy.

Alessio Natalizia is giving away a free Christmas album under his Banjo Or Freakout moniker. The London-based shoegazer recorded most of the nine-song album in ten days earlier this month. You can grab it over at his official blog.

Andrew W.K. will finally release his highly sought after album, Close Calls With Brick Walls. Previously only available in Japan and Korea (a limited vinyl-only run was released here by Load Records), the hard partier will release the album on February 22nd in the UK (no North American date has been announced). To make it even sweeter, he’ll tack on a b-sides album called Mother Of Mankind.

Wolf Parade/Sunset Rubdown/Swan Lake member Spencer Krug has released a new EP under the name Moonface. His label Secretly Canadian is offering Dreamland EP: marimba and shit-drums for the price of “pay-what-you-can” on its website. Meanwhile, Krug’s bandmate Arlen Thompson has informed the band’s fansite that the new Wolf Parade “record is going well” and that they’re “trying to have the record finished by early spring.”