new Saint Etienne album! not a compilation or mix!

obv I don't go to their official site

They have worked with Xenomania again, wonderfully, but not sure if it's for the whole thing or just a few songs like in the past.

Wow, has it really been 2.5 years since "Finisterre"?

Bob's been doing a Q&A with fans of the site's message board. The answers are fun, mostly trivial, but interesting nonetheless; they're all on the news page of the main site.

The new album's due in Feb or something, I think. There's one new track on the 'Travel Edition' compilation, called 'Fascination'. no word on the sound..

This 'Travel Edition' compilation looks to be the best they've out out yet, in terms of song selection. Some of the hoarier singles have been dropped for some lovely album tracks(mario's cafe, finisterre). It's a nice cover, too.

"They have worked with Xenomania again, wonderfully, but not sure if it's for the whole thing or just a few songs like in the past. "

What did Xenomania do in the past?

Brian Higgins and Matt Gray did co-production on "Burnt Out Car" (the proto-"Hole In The Head", really!) and Brian H and Tim Powell have a co-writing credits on "Action" and "Shower Scene" - which doesn't mean that they wrote them, I understand that there's a peculiar clause when working with Xenomania as regards the awarding of writing credits on their work.

Also, Mr Joshua, they of the fab "Action" radio edit, might be vaguely associated with Xenomania too according to the ever-useful Xenomania Discography.

finisterre was terrible, i'll probably just skip this one. beaumont will have a new album around the same time so i will be ok.

Finisterre is great!

Still, you have to admire his force of conviction.

Oh cool if there's more stuff like "Shower Scene" and the Mr Joshua mix of "Action" I will be well pleased.

I got a copy of Travel Edition today. It's a good comp. Good track selection.

When is it out? Any week now, no?

I LOVED Finisterre. There are so many incredible, iconic moments on it. the boys are back in town... and nothing can stop us now... ooh, This Is Our Wall Of Sound., or This House Believes in Skyscrapers, or the moment when her voice comes in at the end of The Way We Live Now, or the spooky, uncertain end to the whole album, a ghostly sample that I always find very haunting. It's the most attention grabbing opening to a St. Et album, as well, even more so than Urban Clearway: the crowd sounds, the increasing pulse, the gathering pace, then it bursts open.

The movie was incredible to see, too; it showed at the VIFF this year. It felt like a pilgrimage, to be honest.