Ho Ho Ho! Malcolm Middleton is back with some ‘Festive Cheer’!

Malcolm Middleton, a man always full of cheer, has announced some new live dates and info about his forthcoming new album in 2009.

Malcolm’s fifth album has a current working title of The Day Is Shit, There Is Nothing Around The Corner And I’ve Nothing New Or Of Worth To Say About Any Of It and is looking likely to reach us by Spring 2009 through Full Time Hobby.

Full live dates are as follows:

11 Dec 2008 St Giles Church (supporting James Yorkston), London
19 Dec 2008 ‘Burst Noel’ Xmas Show @ Fairfield Working Men’s Club, Govan, Glasgow with De Rosa, Phantom Planet and dj set from Aiden Moffat
21 Dec 2008 “9 Lessons and Carols for Godless People” @ Hammersmith Apollo, London

Here’s what Malcolm had to say about his new album:
“I’m currently working on my 5th album, working title “The Day Is Shit, There Is Nothing Around The Corner And I’ve Nothing New Or Of Worth To Say About Any Of It”. I doubt that’ll be the final title though, as it’s stupid, negative, whiny, and histrionic. I’m sure I can sink much lower.

“While everything’s going well, there have been a few moments of wondering if I’m still writing songs and making music for the right reasons. In the past it was usually to do with comfort, boredom and needing to share something. This year I haven’t felt very expressive and when I do pick up a pen I usually start spitting, swearing and editing myself after one line and then give up. I don’t like the sound of my inner voice at present and I don’t know how to change this. One half of me wants to blow-up my pigeon hole and escape, while the other half is comfy and thinks that it’s where it belongs. Part of me wants to do a full-blown pompous megapop album, while Mr. Hyde-Middleton just wants to sit down with an acoustic guitar for 30 minutes and have a quiet, tuneful rant about the usual shit.

“Anyway, combine all this with
1. A calm and cynical hatred for the modern multi-media-based music industry,
2. A constant image of Joe Blogger possibly having a good/bad opinion about me, and
3. Musical fatigue and all the self-doubt I’ve ever had finally catching up and over-taking me,
…and I guess I’m in the perfect place to record another Malcolm Middleton album. At last. Brilliant.

“I’m recording at Cava Studios in Glasgow with Geoff Allan who did most of the Arab Strap records, as well as my first 2 albums. Songs that look strong enough and likely to stand up to my final scrutiny for inclusion on an lp are: “Shadows”, “Red Travellin’ Socks”, “Box & Knife”, “Ballad Of Fuck All”, “Burn In Hell”, and “Not To Be”.