Kaisers drop new album. Altogether.

The Kaiser Chiefs have announced they're not going to release albums any more. At least, not until they're told to.

For the time being, it's going to be, um, formats that are quite like albums, warns Nick Hodgson:

"We mentioned mini-albums and double EPs, but we've got no fixed plans yet," drummer Nick Hodgson told the NME. "We want to break the routine of having to make an album every two years. It's totally boring.

"In the charts there are tons of indie bands playing chords and singing songs about the weekend. We're going to be doing the opposite and being the best."

There's two things here - the first is what exactly is the "opposite" of playing chords and singing about the weekend? Are the Kaisers working on an atonal noseflute opera about Thursdays?

Secondly: Poor old Kaisers, eh? The boring old drudge of having to record a dozen songs every twenty-four months must be so grinding for the poor dears. That's roughly one song every four weeks. It presumably doesn't help that people like nurses and care workers don't appear to show any sympathy for the poor lambs.

The lawnmowers strike back

Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce have helped pull together what's being described as "the first ever Smiths documentary on DVD", as if the means of delivery is more important than the content.

This isn't, the press release informs us, a chance for the men described by Mozzer as "lawnmowers" to enjoy a dish of revenge:

“It isn't about attacking Johnny or Morrissey,” says Rourke. “Despite
the fact that the band ended in a messy way we shared a lot of things and we adopted an almost gang-like mentality. We still have many loyalities to each other as a result of that.”

It's a pity; we'd have liked a "yeah... well, you're like a bloody rotavator, you are" or two.

The DVD, Inside The Smiths, is available for preorder; it comes out 16th July with two launch events:
-MANCHESTER July 15th @ 8pm - TV21, Thomas Street
-LONDON July 18th @ 6pm - FOPP, Tottenham Court Road

Be warned, though, there is some I Love 1983 style padding:

Ricky Wilson and Nick Hodgson of The Kaiser
Chiefs and Ordinary Boys singer Preston offer their own unique insight
into what made The Smiths so special.

Wilson we can just about see... but Preston?

When the Kaiser met Shaun Ryder (and Shaun Ryder blanked them)

Ah, the excitement of life on the road. Kaiser Chiefs drummer Nick spotted a breakfasting Shaun Ryder:

"I gave him a peace sign but he didn't respond. He looked well though.

"Ironically, I was eating melon, but I wasn't twisting them and neither was anyone else... man."

Nor, as far as we can ascertain from the Daily Record's report, did Ryder go with Nick's mother because she was dirty, or call for Nick to tickle judge Fudge. He did, however, clearly not have a clue who he was.

Nick Hodgson wants you to unplug

Doing his bit for the environment, Kaiser Chiefs drummer Nick Hodgson wants us to unplug our mobile phones before we go to bed:

"When you plug in your phone at night you're asleep for 8 hours. Charging up your phone takes what? An hour and a half tops. So that's 6.5 hours of electricity wasted".

Of course, Nick could have helped saving an awful lot more wasted energy if he'd stood up at the first session for the new Kaisers album and said "you know what? We probably needn't bother with this, as all anyone wants to hear is I Predict A Riot..."