If you're into music that kicks like a mule on steroids, your million quid question for 2004 should be: Is this the year Mclusky finally get the attention and respect they deserve?

After closing out their first tour of Australia last year, Andy Falkous, Jon Chapple and new drummer Jack Eggleston shut themselves up in Electrical Audio in Chicago to finish off their third album with Steve Albini (you may have heard of him). The restaurant torching trio are now back in the UK and according to the folk over at Too Pure, they're busy with the remastering and track order selection stage. Rumours concerning the new album's title are floating around ('Mclusky Are Fucking Dead' has been mentioned as a possibility), but in the meantime, tour dates have been announced - the first of which should have you Monarch regulars wetting yourselves.

FEBRUARY

2nd London, Monarch, with The Fall and Jarcrew
3rd London, Infinity, with The Parkinsons

MARCH

28th All Tomorrows Parties festival, Camber Sands

APRIL

24th Cardiff, Clwb Ifor Bach
25th Exeter, The Cavern
27th Glasgow, King Tuts
28th Manchester, Roadhouse
29th Preston, The Mill
30th Birmingham, Academy

MAY

1st Leeds, Joseph Wells
3rd Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
4th Oxford, The Zodiac
5th Brighton, Concorde 2
6th London, The Garage