English indie band Bloc Party announced yesterday they plan to release their new disc Thursday. During a webchat earlier this week, band members said they plan to release the disc, Intimacy, for downloads from their website this week and for purchase in stores in October.

Unlike some bands digital releases (such as Radiohead and Girl Talk), payment is required for the download.

Here is the track list for Intimacy:

Ares
Mercury
Halo
Biko
Trojan Horse
Signs
One Month Off’
Zephyrus
Better Than Heaven
Ion Square

Check out the discs first single, Mercury, in the player below.

[See post to listen to audio]

[NME]

Those milk campaigns from my childhood stick with even today. The Milk Does a Body Good campaign with the little boy standing in the mirror looking at himself gets a peek into the future and due to his indulgence of milk and calcium grows into the captain of the football team with a girlfriend that had bangs bigger than Kelly Kapowski circa Saved by the Bell (Note: That was hot back then! It took at least 2 cans of Aqua Net to achieve this.)

Later Got Milk? became the slogan and one of my favorite commercials of all time was born. A peanut butter sandwich and the lack of milk cost a man $10,000. This is marketing at its best.

Now, Miley Cyrus is campaigning for milk. So finally I decided to find out what is so great about the stuff I put on my Kashi. Turns out you dont have to be the captain of the football team to benefit from milk. Me and sleep deprivation are old friends. George Foreman, Tony Little and Chef Tony have all sold me their grills, exercise machines and knife sets thanks a sleepless night packed with infomercials.

Turns out milk can actually help you sleep. Babies have known this and a glass of warm milk before bed has been a sleep aid for years. Why? After some research it so happens that a study was done on this. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has found that:

Evening intake of [alpha]-lactalbumin increase plasma typtophan availability and improves morning alertness and brain measures of attention.

Translation.drinking that contains a protein that is naturally occurring in dairy can improve sleep quality and being more alert in the morning.

So I decided to try this for myself. I gave myself a week of one glass of milk before bed. (You can mix it up with hot chocolate or chocolate milk, just as long as you are getting milk based dairy.) Believe or not it worked. It wasnt a miracle cure. I still found it difficult to get to sleep, but I did manage to fall asleep before Tony Little sold me another ab sculpting apparatus. I also found that is combated my need for coffee first thing in the morning. I was able to eliminate a total of 4 cups of coffee during the week.

A side note.it also helps with PMS ladies. A diet rich in high calcium can alleviate some of the emotional and physical PMS symptoms, providing a relief from irritability, depression and cramping.

[Got Milk? ]

Ol Goldenballs is getting his own musical. This one is true believe it or not. A British dramatist is currently negotiating a musical deal with the Beckhams. The musical will get its start on Londons West End which is comparable to New Yorks Broadway.

The story will detail his rise to international ball handler and lover of all this couture. The working title is currently David Beckham The Theatre of Dreams and the music is going for a powerful, gospel-like rock.

“His rise from obscurity to international stardom, his universally acknowledged gifts as a supreme sportsman, and his Hollywood lifestyle all have the elements of an aspirational fable,” librettist Mark Archer told the U.K.’s Daily Telegraph.

Of course Victoria Beckham will get her boney claws in on the musical.

Sample lyrics (upon meeting the Spice Girl):

A change has come around,
As I worship this ground,
With you in my life,
We’re turning the world upside down.

For the love of spandex. Why do I have the feeling that the plot is going to center around a bunch of sweaty half naked men sitting around gym snapping each other in the ass with rolled up towels followed by a dance montage featuring glowsticks?

[People]

Umm. I am not even going to beat around the bush.errrI mean .wellI can see his wobbley bit! Why didnt someone tell him? Where is his mother to point out that his manhood is clearly visible? Then again.why am I being ungrateful and questioning this? Michael Phelps peen photos are probably on high demand for all the cougars and bi-curious men out there.

Some real news regarding the swimming wonder, he has landed on the cover of the new issue of Sports Illustrated. Phelps has taken home 8 gold medals from this years summer Olympics in Beijing and blew Mark Spitzs 7 medal record out of the water. His cover is to rival that of the 1972 Spitz photo.

Mike and his gold medal encrusted rump are said to be worth up to $100 million in endorsement deals. His agent affirms that he is getting around 50 offers on a daily basis to pimp goods. (And probably offers that involve a cup and Phelps’ baby juice.) So far he has been tapped by Speedo and Nike is also throwing numbers his way. Everyone loves this guy and his butter-face. An overzealous fan or perhaps his mom disguised as a fan with too much time on her hands has even dedicated a site to how Phelps is the Jesus of swimming. Here are some facts from their site.

1.Water drinks Michael Phelps.
2.Scientists recently discovered the cause for warmer sea temperature and melting icebergs happens every time Michael Phelps gets in the water.
3.Michael Phelps sweat is consider a banned substance for other athletes. Too bad Michael Phelps never sweats.
4.Michael Phelps is the only species on earth that is on the Danger List.
5.Once, when Michael Phelps swam the Atlantic he came across mermaids who thought he was just a myth.
6.Ancient Greeks used to sacrifice 100 cows to Poseidon who would then turn around and sacrifice them to Michael Phelps.
7.Michael Phelps does not swim like dolphins; dolphins swim like Michael Phelps.
8.There is no need to save the whales, Michael Phelps has saved them all.
9.Michael Phelps caught Moby Dick. He then let him go because he is just that awesome.
10.Every time you see a shooting star you are really watching Michael Phelps train in space.

[Michael Phelps Facts]

Good news for Christina Applegate she is now 100 percent clear and clean of cancer. Just one month after being diagnosed with breast cancer Christina is perfectly healthy.

“I’m clear,” Applegate said. “Absolutely 100 percent clear and clean. It did not spread. They got everything out, so I’m definitely not going to die from breast cancer.”

The 36 year old star maybe best remembered as Kelly Bundy but in real life Christinas mother also battled and survived breast cancer. This may hhave saved Christinas life. Being aware that she was predisposed to breast cancer Christina has been getting mammograms since she turned 30.Early detection was key to saving her life.

“I was so mad and II just remember I wasI was just shaking,” she told GMA co host Robin Roberts, herself a breast-cancer survivor, on Monday. “And then also immediately, I had to go into’take-care-of-business mode,’ which wasI asked them, ‘What do I do now? Whatwhat is it that I do? I get a doctor, I get a surgeon, I get an oncologist? What do I do?”

What she did was get all the help she needed. Christina also switched to a macrobiotic diet. Hey whatever works for the poster girl for preventive care.

“I’m clear,” Applegate said. “Absolutely 100 percent clear and clean. It did not spread. They got everything out, so I’m definitely not going to die from breast cancer.”

Christina has even more good news she has been nominated for her first lead-actress Emmy award! Way to go Christina! She is also scheduled to appear with Charlize Theron, Meryl Streep and Jennifer Aniston on the Stand Up to Cancer one-hour special which will air on NBC, ABC and CBS on September 5th.

We are all very happy that Christina is doing so well. She is one funny lady and a pretty classy act.

[E Online]