Hi Guys,

We've been busy in Pin Me Down land gearing up for the release of the Kitsune Maison 5 Gold compilation, which has our song "Cryptic" on it, along with songs by Fischerspooner, M.I.A., Late of the Pier and The Teenagers.

Kitsune is also releasing a 12" remix single of "Cryptic" this spring (we'll tell you more about that soon). We heard that one of our favorite Radio DJs John Kennedy has been playing "Cryptic" on his XFM show X-posure in the UK.

If you want to hear "Cryptic" again, we think it would be awesome if you write John to request that he play it through xfm.co.uk.

We're also hard at work rehearsing. I just bought a microkorg keyboard, which I've wanted for a long time, and it has been amusing me with weird sounds. Also Russell and I are writing some new UK garage-tinged jams. I kid you not. Check out these cool items and thanks to everyone who has written us lately and a big grizzly hello to all our new friends and listeners:

-first Noa sends in this Manga-esque PMD drawing from Japan - how cool is that!?

There's also an item about the Kitsune Comp on Pitchfork

And pick up the upcoming Feb. issue of Dazed and Confused for some more surprises.

So business aside, I thought it would be fun to talk about New Years and gulp! - my 2008 resolutions. On New Years Eve, I went to see my buddies in Young Love play at the Hiro Ballroom. They  played the perfect party set and then we all watched the ball drop on large projector screens and danced. It was fun except for the high prices on everything – like 24$ for two drinks plus tip – what? After that Hilary and I went to our friends party in Bushwick at an old converted church. The party was fairly uneventful, other than the array of beautiful tribal-style masks that one of the housemates makes. I couldn't help myself and put one of the large ones on that had long hair draping out of it and ran out into the main room and started dancing around on the stage with it on until Bruce saw and wrestled it off of me. I wish I had a picture, as it looked insane with my purple dress! I was possessed, for a second.

But I was treating the mask with respect though, because I try to be careful with art and I believe in the supernatural at times. I swear the mask didn't get damaged. Then we went to our favorite bar near there, where we got into more trouble playing Buck Hunter and taking photos in the booth. It wasn't the greatest new years of all time, but a blast nonetheless. 

Russell's New Years was a bit more glamorous as he DJ-ed at the party at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood. Our manager Larry was there and took this picture.

How was your New Years? I thought I'd get up the courage to post my 2008 New Years Resolutions, effective immediately even though it's errr… mid January.

- Meet real heroes; make new friends; find people that inspire; learn new things. Jeffrey Eugenides, Cormick McCarthy, Hillary Clinton, The Coen Brothers, Kathleen Hannah, The Boss, Viggo Mortensen, Jack White, the boys from Mew, Stuart Price, Keith Richards, Omar from Mars Volta. I could go on forever....

- Meet more ax-slinging rock and roll gals. I think we should form some sort of club. I'll make the badges. I read what Laura-Mary from the Blood Red Shoes said about being a gal in a guitar store in NME's guitar issue and I instantly felt pangs of solidarity with her, since I've experienced the same thing countless times. Her band is rad, a duo (like Pin Me Down!), and she gets extra points for playing a Tele (they're often so heavy on the shoulders).

I can't wait for the day when this sort of sexism doesn't exist and it's not a big deal to see a woman behind the counter in a guitar store, in a small town (ho ho ho - couldn't resist, Eddie) or a lady testing the merchandise. Down with music store wanking.

- Go bowling more. I just discovered The Gutter, an old school bowling alley in my neighborhood and it's seriously the best thing ever. It's half southern style dive bar – half 70s bowling lanes. Apparently the owners bought the 8 bowling lanes off of eBay and they were dismantled from their previous location and trucked to NYC. The wood is really old and the lanes are covered with all these cool stickers from the Midwest, for companies and products we can't buy – that's what I like to see. It's super fun.

The shoes they rent you are way too big, so you have to pretend you're 2 sizes smaller (you know what they say about people with small feet?). I've probably bowled 3 times in my life, prior to The Gutter, so Hilary had to show me the ropes, but now I'm doing quite well, although Hilary still beats me every time. But she's secretly really good a sports, whereas I have always been pretty weak, uncoordinated (softball – what? Where? Doh) and unenthusiastic when it came to gym and sports in school, although I do like to swim and I love to watch tennis, figure skating (the outfits –duh), gymnastics, and the world cup.

- resist all unnecessary tequila shots at, like, 3 am

- learn how to avoid going to gig after parties, so that I don't blow my voice out for the next day

-do my part to get off the internet and stop the over-saturation of mediocrity. Without naming names, it's just kind of depressing how we're being taught that making average, unchallenging art / living unchallenging lives and falling prey to the daily tabloid fodder of faltering pop/movie stars or aristocrats is acceptable and desirable.

- travel, travel, travel – especially to Japan, Prague, Brazil, Australia, and the UK, of course

-  write as much music as possible – although quality over quantity. Learn new protools tricks.

-     find some really kick ass costumes. Lately I've been sporting 50s sock hop gear, so if you see any pink lady jackets, send them my way.

-Finally get my drivers license and put it to good use

-Trace my ancestry and maybe discover through a fluke family tree that Ryan Gosling is really my cousin.

- Try to encourage all my friends over 18 to vote. In the last congressional election, I was the only one of all my friends who actually voted!

-         Learn to sleep deeper

-         Brush up on my Spanish. I wish I spoke more languages

-         Rock the fuck out

I hope that wasn't too confusing. What are your New Years resolutions?

milena xo