Notebook Letters 13.

Top 10 albums of 2008

1) Crystal Castles Crystal Castles
2) Seventh Tree Goldfrapp
3) Couples The Long Blondes
4) Fantasy Black Channel Late of The Pier
5) Out of Control Girls Alous
6) Santogold Santogold
7) H & LA Hercules & Love Affair
Eight) Ladyhawke Ladyhawke
9) Only By The Night Kings of Leon
10) Antidotes Foals
Jude Green

The Void; Teletext page 825; 6th of January, 2009; 6/7.

President and the maker

Jon McClure has said he hopes President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela will feature on the second Mongrel album.

Debut album Better Than Heavy is out on February 9, and McClure wants to record the follow-up in Venezuela.

McClure told 6Music: "Chavez has put a lot of his wealth into restoring the indigenous culture. It's kicking off in Venezuela, it's like the new Jamaica. We're going to do a Buena Vista thing."

1/7.

Brits shortlist stars

Scouting For Girls and Gabriella Cilmi play at the Brits' shortlist launch at London Roundhose on January 20, along with Critics Choice winner Florence And The Machine. Hosted by Fearne Cotton, it's on ITV2 from 8pm on the night.

Miles Hunt curates an acoustic gig at Birmingham Town Hall on January 30, also starring Wayne Hussey, Nick Heyward, Roddy Frame and Katell Keineg. Early copies of Hunt's new album with Erica Nockalls will be on sale.

2/7.

Kasabian get automated

Kasabian are producing their new album with Dan The Automaton.

The Gorillaz producer "took what we'd done already and added to it", according to Serge Pizzorno.

He told 6 Music: "A couple of songs went New York Rolling Stones, and there's one song that sounds like Daft Punk and The Clash together." Songs include Underdog, Thick as Thieves and 2007's ultra-limited single Fast Fuze.

3/7.

Three free Foals previews

Foals are giving away snippets of three new songs.

At myspace.com/foals, the band have placed clips of Glaciers, A Future and XCFAVA. "Most of this is me messing around, lonely, on a loop pedal," said Yannis Philippakis. "For the most part, it's formless and semi-instrumental."

Philippakis said that guitarist Jimmy Smith would also shortly be posting some new demos on the site.

4/7.

Six more for ATP

Shearwater, Health, The Acorn and The Pink Mountaintops have been added to ATP Vs The Fans.

Organisers of the May 8- 10 festival said offers have been made to My Bl*ody Valentine, Electric Wizard and Flight of The Conchords to play after fans voted for their appearance.

The Breeders' ATP Festival the week after has added CSS and Supersuckers. Tickets are £150 for each festival.

5/7.

My Dylan romance

My Chemical romance release new single Desolation Row on February 9. A cover of the Bob Dylan song, it's taken from the soundtrack of new film The Watchmen and is limited to 3, 000 12" copies.

The Brute Chorus are to make their debut album a live recording. The band will record the album in one night at a gig at the FreeDM Studio at London Roundhouse on February 28. Tickets are £7 from roundhouse.org.uk or 08444 828008.

6/7.

Frightening rabbit

Frightened Rabbit release acoustic live album Quietly Now on March 30. It was recorded at Glasgow's Captain's Rest. They tour from March 27.

Jamie Foxx releases his new album next week. Guests include Timbaland, T-Pain, Kanye West, Ne-Yo and Li'l' Wayne.

The Soft Pack, who were among PS' Faces of 2009, release debut single Nightlife on February 16. They play at London Madame Jo Jo's on February 17.

7/7.

Teletext page 821; 6th of January, 2009.

What's it all about?

Anyone seen Masked And Anonymous? What's it about? Rob, Larne

Vortex: Bob Dylan plays a rock legend sprung from jail to headline a televised benefit gig in a pre-revolutionary Latin country.

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 6th of January, 2009; 1/6.

Can you name that film?

Can anyone help? I'm looking for the name of an oldish film in which a family move into a big old house and can see the past (maybe their grandparents as kids playing) from their backyard. Mr Blundell is also a character in it. Dave, Tyneside

Victor Olliver, Michael Keaton was not a dull Batman, he is the best by far. Please stop talking rubbish! Simon, West Moors

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 6th of January, 2009; 2/6.

VO's Che review odd

I found Victor Olliver's review of Che very odd. It is clear that by describing the film as an "instruction manual for terrorism" his prejudice is not against the film but the man himself, who he clearly knows little about! Tom, Northampton

I dread to think how the Nicolas Cage-starring remake turned out, but I thought the original version of Bangkok Dangerous was fantastic. Gav, Kent

Vortex: It was dire.

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 6th of January, 2009; 3/6.

Punk movie is named

Mark, Mid Glamorgan. The punk movie you're wanting is Suburbia, an absolutely great film with brill music! You can buy it at HMV for about £5! Same director made Dudes, another good film but it's only available on Region 1 at the moment! Posz, Newcastle

Does anybody know if the US Blu-ray of Spike Lee's Miracle At St Anna will play in UK machines? Rich A, Aylesbury

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 6th of January, 2009; 4/6.

A thought for Travolta

My condolences to John Travolta. He may be cheesy but he was always value for money. Pete, Aston

Nigel, saw a great Vanessa Paradis film years ago. I think it was called Eliza(Elisa); that French guy from Green Card (Depardieu) played her dad in it. Gemma, Wirral

Nigel, Noce Blanche, La Fille Sur Le Pont and Mon Ange are some of Vanessa's best. Sal, Coventry

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 6th of January, 2009; 5/6.

Films to see in 2009

Films I'm looking forward to seeing this year: Black Dynamite, Gran Torino, and Tarantino's Inglorious B*st*rds. Ones to avoid: Transformers 2 and Final Destination 4. Barry, Sunderland

Totally agree with Stu from Aberdeen. The ending of The Mist still haunts me. Michael, Yorks

Am I the only person who rates Speed Racer as great? Nowhere have I seen it in a Top 10 films list. Shane, Nottingham

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 6th of January, 2009; 6/6.

It's nice to see someone else mention The Domino State as their hope for 2009. They blew me away when I saw them support M83 in Belfast. What's The Question was one of my singles of 2008, so I hope they have more cracking bits of shoegaze indie up their sleeve. Christopher McBride

It's time John Frusciante's solo work got more recognition. As if his playing wasn't good enough, new album Empyrean features Johnny Marr too. Charmlessman

The Void; Teletext page 825; 7th of January, 2009; 1/7.

Thanks to BBC4 for the prog season. It was no more decadent than any other period of music, with trained musicians who pushed the boundaries. They were open to and inspired by all fields of art, and it was an event. About the whole album, not one or two songs. Downloading one song just isn't the same. Pamela Earl

I'm no Ting Tings fan, but the intro to That's Not My Name is more memorable than any Courteeners song. Hannelore

The Void; Teletext page 825; 7th of January, 2009; 2/7.

He may not be new, but I got into Ryan Adams last year, and it's changed my life. Love Is H*ll is one of the best albums I've ever heard. Bloc Party and Primal Scream were my favourite albums of last year, but there were many disappointing ones: The Killers, Razorlight and Kaisers. The Cardinal

Am I the only one who finds Fleet Foxes vastly overrated? Also, how did MGMT only make No 27 on PS's 2008 list? It should be Top Three. Martin Brooks

The Void; Teletext page 825; 7th of January, 2009; 3/7.

My tip for 2009 is Captive State, whose Silent Grove EP was top. Seeing The Hours or Asilentfilm in the charts would also be fab. Foo MacGuffin

Not since his golden period of 1964- 74 has Paul McCartney produced such great music as his last three albums. Perhaps it was his tour in 2003, mainly of Beatles songs, that inspired it? I was at Manchester. What a night. 46 years on from Please Please Me, The Fireman was my album of 2008. Rockman

The Void; Teletext page 825; 7th of January, 2009; 4/7.

After the recent praise for Band of Horses here, I advise people to check out My Morning Jacket. I've just got back from seeing them in New York on New Year's Eve. It was the most amazing gig ever. Cheshire Steve

In the charts, there be four witches. Rihanna, Leona, Beyoncé and Alexandra. Thou dost ruin our eardrums wist thy insipid lyrics and squawking tones. Thy countrymen are mad to lap up more of those bland hags. Get thee gone. Nahid

The Void; Teletext page 825; 7th of January, 2009; 5/7.

Top 10 albums of 2008

1) Distortion The Magnetic fields
2) 4:13 Dream The Cure
3) Our Ill Wills The Shout Out Loyds
4) Dreams The Whitest Boy Alive
5) Do You Like Rock Music? British Sea Power
6) Oracular Spectacular MGMT
7) Songs In A&E Spiritualized
Eight) Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
9) Falling Off The Lavender Bridge Lightspeed Champion
10) Stainless Style Neon Neon
The Wife's

The Void; Teletext page 825; 7th of January, 2009; 6/7.

Stooges guitarist dies

The Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton has been found dead at his home in Michigan. He was 60.

Early indications suggest that Asheton had died of a heart attack.

Asheton and his brother, drummer Scott, were asked to form The Stooges by Iggy Pop in 1967. Their three albums from 1969- 73 were unsuccessful at the time, but became revered later on. The band had toured since reforming in 2003.

1/7.

Schneider quits Kraftwerk

Florian Schneider has quit Kraftwerk, leaving Ralf Hutter as the band's sole surviving original member.

A brief statement gave no reason for his departure.

The pair formed Kraftwerk for their self-titled debut album in 1970. Although they have increased their touring commitments in recent years, they haven't released a full album of new songs since Electric Café in 1986.

2/7.

Royksopp's junior thrills

Royksopp return on March 23 with new album Junior, the self-produced follow-up to 2005's The Understanding. It's preceded on March 9 by a single, Happy Up Here. The 11 songs don't include Happy Birthday, which the duo gave away online to mark their 10th birthday.

The Whitest Boy Alive, the side-project band of Kings of Convenience singer Erlend Oye, return on March 2 with new album Rules. It follows 2006's Dreams. A tour for March is announced shortly.

3/7.

Gaga, Leon for No 1

Lady Gaga is likely to end Alexandra Burke's three-week run at No 1, with Just Dance 7, 000 sales in front.

Midweek sales show Coolio as the only new entry in the Top 40, with Gangsta's Paradise re-entering at No 36 after his appearance on Celebrity Big Brother.

Kings of Leon are set to alimb back to No 1 album, ending Take That's five-week reign, with Kylie's remix album Boombox the highest new entry at No 28.

4/7.

Duke of Clyro

Biffy Clyro singer Simon Neil releases Duke Pandemonium, the second album with his side-project duo Marmaduke Duke, on March 30. Also featuring Sucioperro singer and guitarist JP Reid, it's preceded on February 9 by a single, Kid Gloves.

White Lies play live and sign their Lose My Life album at London Oxford Street HMV on January 20 from 6pm. The title track of the album is released as a single on Monday.

5/7.

Elbow: no need to Fret

Elbow singer Guy Garvey has tipped Stephen Fretwell to succeed this year.

Fretwell played bass for The Last Shadow Puppets on tour after he was dropped by Fiction last year.

Garvey told PS: "Stephen has found an enthusiasm I've never seen from him before. He used to let things happen to him a bit, but the songs he's writing now are amazing. He's reinventing the wheel. I think 2009 will be his year."

6/7.

Lennon MBE found

The MBE which John Lennon returned to the Queen has been found in a vault.

Lennon was awarded the MBE with the rest of The Beatles in 1965, but returned it in 1969. His letter to the Queen said it was a protest against Britain backing the US in the Vietnam war and British involvement in Nigeria.

The medal was found in its display box in a cabinet at the Chancery Department of The Royal Household.

7/7.

Teletext page 821; 7th of January, 2009.

Will Watchmen be good?

I hope Watchmen lives up to the hype, although I'm pessimistic about it. Have to say, Blu-ray looks amazing. I saw a Kung Fu Panda disc playing in a shop and the detail is breathtaking!

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 7th of January, 2009; 1/6.

Anyone know about Amos?

Desperately trying to find a film for my gran called Amos from about 1985 starring Kirk Douglas. She loves it and hasn't seen it for years. Can anyone help me? Deb, Aberdare

Viggo Mortensen would make a great Riddler. But if he reprises his Aragorn role in the Hobbit films, it would rule him out due to scheduling. And we all know The Hobbit will be a far bigger movie event in 2011 than poor little Batman 3. Paul, Edgware

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 7th of January, 2009; 2/6.

Public Enemies

The movie I'm most looking forward to in 2009 is Public Enemies. Johnny Depp as the legendary John Dillinger up against Christian Bale as Melvin Purvis, his FBI nemesis! All this directed by Michael Mann! Put simply, can't wait! Joe, Dysart

As far as rubbish films and lead actors go, anything with Jason Statham in it gets my vote. Dominic, Castlewellan

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 7th of January, 2009; 3/6.

The wrestling genre

If the film The Wrestler is successful it could spawn more biopic films based on other popular wrestlers like Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior Shawn Michaels, Goldust and many others. What does anybody else think? Dabion, Elmsall

Jim Carrey is not talentless. Have you seen his performance in Eternal Sunshine or Man On The Moon? Plus, Dumb And Dumber is pure comedy gold. Ian, Croydon

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 7th of January, 2009; 4/6.

Who will play Link?

Have just heard about the Zelda movie. Does anyone know who will play Link? H, Basingstoke

Vortex: Not cast yet so far as we know. Keira Knightley will play Zelda.

Looking forward to Star Trek. It should be a good retelling. Best vampire film has to be 30 Days of Night. William, Edinburgh

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 7th of January, 2009; 5/6.

Batman 3 cast dreams

For Batman 3 I would have Nestor Carbonell as Black Mask. Having played the Mayor of Gotham in TDK it would be a great twist. Adam, Sunderland

If I could pick the actors for Batman 3 it would be Paul Giamatti as Penguin. Riddler: Robert Downey Jr. Catwoman: Hilary Sw*nk and Robin: Casey Affleck. James, Croydon

Is Diane Keaton related to Buster? Pete, Aston PS Happy New Year.

Vortex; Teletext page 817; 7th of January, 2009; 6/6.

We can all carp about omissions from PS' Top 50 or 2008 lists, but it just goes to show how much good music is out there. However, I'd like to ask if Earls forget to put anything in the lists once he'd compiled them? A Syntax

Earls: Not this year. There was a lot of good stuff I didn't find room for (Friendly Fires, Spiritualized), though.

I'm gutted about Ron Asheton's death. I'm glad I saw The Stooges live, they influenced many of my faves. Tony Vegas

The Void; Teletext page 825; 8th of January, 2008; 1/7.

Ron Asheton's death is sad, so soon after The Stooges resolved their differences. At least he lived long enough to finally enjoy the deserved praise for his thunderous basslines. I only got into the band recently, but what a thrilling moment that first time through Search And Destroy was. Thank you, Ron. RIP. Kevin Lee

Leona, Beyoncé, etc., are bad role models. Record labels force better artists to sing like them. Ross Q

The Void; Teletext page 825; 8th of January, 2009; 2/7.

I've just got round to buying The Primitives' Best Of, having been meaning to buy something by them since 1987. They were a good band, but why on earth did they let one of the blokes sing a few songs? It's funny how something like that can irritate you 20 years after the event. Carruthers

Ron Asheton was a true original. The Stooges have never been equalled, and their recent gigs were a revelation. I was privileged to see two. Paul Wilson

The Void; Teletext page 825; 8th of January, 2008; 3/7.

Ron Asheton was one of the greatest guitarists ever, and the reason I learned to play. His playing influenced so many great bands, from QOTSA to Spiritualized. The rawness of his technique has not been matched. It probably won't ever be. Boogie Pirate

I'm uneasy about the advert for Jeff Buckley's latest compilation, So Real. Surely it would sell well without the sickening emphasis on his death. People should own Grace already anyway. Rancel

The Void; Teletext page 825; 8th of January, 2009; 4/7.