Gordon in the morning: The Stereophonics are still going

It's like discovering money down the back of the sofa. Well, not money - more like a discarded condom. The Stereophonics are still a going concern to such an extent that they've hired a new drummer:

STEREOPHONICS frontman KELLY JONES says anyone can join the band – so long as they make a mean beans on toast.

The group recently had a shake-up with JAMIE MORRISON, ex drummer with NOISETTES, replacing JAVIER WEYLER.

To be fair to Kelly Jones, he didn't say that anyone can join the band if they can make beans on toast; merely that Jamie once made beans on toast with them.

That's not to say that introducing some sort of skills test for being in the Stereophonics is a bad idea - and, to be honest, being able to make beans is probably a better target than knowing how to play Pick A Part That's New. In fact, we'd encourage the band to concentrate more on low-level catering for the next few years.

Downloadable: The Noisettes

A gift for you from the Noisettes' people: yesterday's cover of The Killers' When We Were Young off the Live Lounge.

If only it had been Whipping Boy's song of the same name, we might all have been in very heaven. But this will do for me...

Another fall tour falls

In what's been something of a record week for cancellations, The Noisettes have dropped their US tour in favour of a bit of sit down:

The band members came to the conclusion they needed to take a break if they were going to be at their best for the tour."

"They've been on the road for two years," said their agent Matt Hickey "It's frustrating and it was a tough decision for them to make, but they decided they needed to get some rest, regroup and come back and do it right."

The tour might take place early next year, instead, if everyone can get some sleep before then.

Noisettes say 'get ready for a shock'

There's more to the Noisettes than being The Noisettes. At least, that's according to The Noisettes:

"Currently, we're truly a band now. We are writing songs for our next album and we are quite far down the line.

"Anyone who had us written off as a garage rock buzz band on our first album - I hope those people will be shocked when they hear our new album."

Hmm. Mildly surprised, perhaps. But unless they're going to go and turn in a set of Extreme Noise Terror cover versions, or all acapella German language plainsong, I suspect we won't be shocked.