"Give me a reason that you won't stay." - Small Factory.

There is an ever so scant update at the Chocolate Hearts website about the forthcoming Hi-Soft EP. There isn't much news, or at least nothing that we hadn't heard previously as speculation on the WHYME? podcast, but basically the release will be a five-song EP and it is "coming soon." The update also mentions a new release for the label by a band called The Snow Fairies, who apparently sound like Heavenly and Clicky Clicky all-time-favorite Small Factory. So we hope to check that out at some point.

We don't think we are speaking out of school when we say we have been told that the Junkmedia relaunch, and attendant launch of the Junkmedia blog World of Sound that we will be writing and editing, is slated for August 22nd. So get psyched.

A dispatch from FatCat we received in our newly resuscitated Junkmedia mailbag describes what sounds like a pretty captivating electronic release from the duo of Aoki Takamasa + Tujiko Noriko. In FatCat's opinion "the album is a beautiful marriage of sweet female vocals alongside pristine, lusciously textured and layered electronics, and some great beat programming." Sounds pretty good, right? You can listen to a few samples here. It's sort of Vespertine-ish, in a good way.

The 'Nac's big update this past week featured a bunch of live MP3s from a number of acts including Charlene, for whom Mr. Almanac himself now drums. Anyway, the two Charlene cuts posted are "Ripoff," a real standout cut from the act's 2002 self-titled release on SharkAttack!, and "The Way of Things." We recommend downloading the latter because it is unreleased as of yet and it is a great song. While it is a close cousin to "Ripoff," it also frankly is a spitting image of the best Kitchens of Distinction stuff. And that is not too shabby in our book. Do check it out.

ClipTip, one of our newest stops during the day, has a link to a pretty nice Schneider TM video. We don't think Schneider TM gets enough props, but perhaps after you watch the video you will be more prone to hand 'em over.

Coolfer has some insight into confusion at Sony BMG in a post-Payola settlement world.

That is all.