Crosswords through the bathroom door, while someone sings the theme tune to the news…

There have been many great things about moving to NZ but one of the biggest things that I miss is the music scene.  Or the lack of it.  Ok, so I’m going to say it: the music scene in NZ sucks.  What the fuck is up with the adoration of dub/reggae and piss poor European house?  Seriously.  Ok, it’s said.

So the other big issue is that not only do very few bands come and play here but if they do they invariably skip Christchurch (apparently crossing the Tasman is ridiculously expensive).  Then even if they do come here the chance of finding out about the gig is pretty small as promotion is often non-existent (when I found out I’d missed Dan Deacon last year I was not a happy bunny).

As time has passed I’ve realised it’s not quite as bad as I first thought (I really was spoiled living in Brighton before all this).  In months to come we have Animal Collective, Dirty Projectors, The Pixies, Yo La Tengo, Camera Obscura, Pavement, Neko Case, Mono, Wilco.

And now they’ve announced Joanna Newsom with Jens Lekman no less.  In Christchurch.  While I’m on nights.  The same nights that cover my birthday none the less.

See, to go to any of these (as none of them bar the lovely Ms Newsom are playing CHCH) I have to try and book 2 days off work a few months in advance (a process which can take up to a month to confirm sometimes), get flights and accommodation in Wellington or Auckland and all the other little expenses that go along with it.  It makes it very difficult and expensive plus it’s eating into my annual leave.  I miss the day I could lean out of K’s window and listen to Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan playing across the road in St George’s church.

So I make my choices.  I chose Pavement over Pixies.  I’m losing the rest of the week to be in Auckland for Dirty Projectors 2 days later.  Mono I’ve seen before.  Neko Case I’m still deciding.  Wilco I will make happen.  I will also see JN even if I have to miss the end of her set (or be late for work which is more likely).  Tomorrow I’m off to see Jarvis Cocker in Wellington all by my lonesome.

A plea: if you are coming to New Zealand to play, please extend the tour to CHCH.  You’ve already spent all that money and time flying here in the first place so what’s a little bit more to come a bit further south.  I’ll come pick you up myself if it will help.

Now I just need to figure out how I’m ever going to see Mogwai ever again.  Fuji Rock 2010 anyone..?

 

Hold on now youngster

You said “send me stationary to make me horny”
So I always write you letters in multicolours
Decorating envelopes for foreplay
Damn extended metaphors, I get carried away

On the back of a natural disaster, fixed with parcel tape and with kids sticking plasters
Nothing says “I miss you” quite like war poetry you carved in your door with a Stanley knife

I know this was from a few years ago now but I was listening to it yesterday and the geeky lyrics still get me every time.  It’s built to appeal.

It’s bad enough you ever use the word as an adjective
But to suggest we do it in heels is really quite crass
And frankly, we’re reasonably practical
And we know the benefits of always doing these things in flats

Who can argue with the sense of that?  Plus my all time favourite:

If you catch me with my hands in the till
I promise, sugar, I wasn’t trying to steal
I’m just swimming in copper
to smell and pretend like a robot

 

Avinu Malkeinu

Will I won’t I shall I shan’t I?  Write?  Well.  I’m unwell.  A long felt awareness of continually running at sub-par always seems to manifest whenever I take some time off.  Maybe the energy and stresses of work allowing my immune system to keep trucking on, keeping a low profile from the distracted awareness of my brain, crash and burn when I stop.  When the long weekend and relaxation kicked in it translated into rapid sinus congestion, sore throat and muzzy head.

Reasons to write?  One being the fun weekend we all had in Akaroa.  Got monumentally drunk Friday night with good friends and to my immense sense of self satisfaction I managed to play the entirety of Tarot Sport to a room full of people in a party type situation.  And only 2 people asked me to turn it off (cunningly by this point of the evening attention spans had been tequilaed down to bare seconds so I just ignored their pleas for musical leniency).  I actually played Street Horrrsing too but there was only one other left drinking and awake by that point so not sure I can claim that one.

Our sortie on Saturday for a bit of a ramble was scuppered when we arrived on the desolate beach to find a freaked out surfer who pointed us out to his 2 mates who were being swept out by the rip.  Our mate jumped in his kayak and went out to help the swept away guy (the other one made it to the rocks) while we went to call the coast guard.

One helicopter later, lots of standing around for us (plus a fuck load of paddling our mate) and all 3 were safe.  Good result and they were sheepishly nonplussed once it was all over.  Surfers are stupid.  We on the other hand went sea kayaking the following day and didn’t need helicopter rescue.  We did need burgers though.

Then we all got to see this:

And finally, perhaps the most joyous thing of all is that someone has posted the boot of the Royal Albert Hall gig by Mogwai from 2006.  In the 7 times I’ve seen them this was and still is the best they’ve ever been and I’ve been hoping for a copy ever since.  Everything about that night was perfect.  The venue was immense; the crowd were real fans, committed and politely quiet; the sound was enormous, it filled and decimated everything else in the hall, you could feel it through every inch of your body (I thought the bass on 2 rights was going to rupture my sternum); the version of 2 rights was the best I’ve ever heard live, the welcome return of Tracy and the second surprise encore (which I almost missed thinking they had gone) of a monumental and righteous MFMK was perfect.  I was there with a sweet Jewish San Franciscan girl I was sort of dating at the time at the end of a brief summer of letting go; she jumped a mile out of her seat at the noise mid way through fear satan and half way through MFMK said, ‘wait, this is…’

Yes it is; with a smile.  It felt better sharing it with someone and I was elated for days.  The recording’s pretty good so please download, listen and share it with me.

 

Reflecting (…oh, I declare a change of heart…)

In my absence my blog seems to have been slowly ticking over and I’ve had over 5000 visits.  I don’t have much need for this any more though so not sure where to go.  I crave the anonymity and selective exposure of my earlier blog.  The ability to write absolutely anything and not worry about people you know reading it.  Writing to strangers.  There is something in the desire to publish and put out those intimate thoughts and events to be read by random unknowns, to be followed and supported, yet to be kept hidden.  A paper journal holds not the same appeal, the outrage of finding someone you know has peered within the sacred confines of a personal diary does not translate to the internet.  It also highlights the reality of what you’re doing when you sit, pen in hand and detail those troublesome thoughts to the page.  I am tempted to just hit that delete button for this and my past outlet.  Or perhaps reappear somewhere new with no fanfare.

Common joy seems to have lapsed into something sweeter.  This has been a fortnight characterised by a heap of new people and the discovery and rapture of a new muse (most fitting to Aoide); the associated back-tumble to the stages of my life that fling themselves into stark contrast with how things have been and how they can be no longer; and a god awful hangover that eventually lapsed into vague sickness.

There is (despite the runny nose and generally foggy head of the last few days) a smile on my face, a whimsy of the body and a desire to create.

On a somewhat related note I recently bought a new fountain pen.  Haven’t owned one for many a year but decided writing for me had become a chore, an act of work.  I wanted to take back the enjoyment.  Currently it’s been sent to Australia to fit a finer nib but once it returns I shall use it.  If anyone would like a letter drop me a line and address.

 

End of the year lists:

So it comes that time when we all compile pointless lists of what we enjoyed throughout the year.  And I’m feeling it this time so make no exception.  So some top lists (in alphabetical order):

Movies:

• Cloverfield
• The Dark Knight
• Iron Man
• No country for old men
• Son of Rambow
• Wall-E

A quiet year for movies on reflection.  If I had to choose only one it would be Wall-E.  As much as The Dark Knight is perfectly accomplished and astonishing in its brilliance and Iron Man is just brilliantly entertaining, Wall-E is just a wonderful combination of stunning visuals, gorgeous sound design and heartbreakingly staged story.  I love it.

Albums:

• Crystal Castles
• Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid
• Foals – Antidotes
• Fuck Buttons – Street Horrrsing
• Los Campesinos! – Hold on now, youngster
• Lykke Li – Youth Novel
• Metronomy – Nights out
• Mogwai – The Hawk is Howling
• Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Did, Lazarus, Dig!
• Remember Remember
• Vampire Weekend

Picking a favourite from these is extremely difficult.  Or very easy, as since The Hawk is Howling was released I’ve listened to very little else.  It’s a truly stunning Mogwai album and feels fully formed, like it’s existed for years.  And I love it.  However, choosing Mogwai as my favourite of the year is kind of cheating as they’re my favourite band.  So before that was released it was Fuck Buttons – Street Horrrsing.  I’ve been listening to this all year and still love it.  Powerful and compelling.  Regardless, all  the above have been on constant repeat since release and are well worth listening to.  Interestingly, my favourite album of last year: Low – Drums and Guns is still on heavy rotation.

Songs:

• Black Francis – The Seus
• CSS – Rat is dead (Rage)
• David Byrne & Brian Eno – Strange overtones
• Elbow – One day like this; Weather to fly
• Fleet Foxes – Blue ridge mountains
• Fuck Buttons – Sweet love for Planet earth
• Gotye – Hearts a mess
• Ladyhawke – Paris is burning
• Lambchop – Sharing a Gibson with Martin Luther King Jr.
• Lykke Li – I’m good, I’m gone
• Metronomy – Heartbreaker
• Mogwai – Scotland’s Shame; Devil Rides
• Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – More news from nowhere
• Noah and the Whale – 5 years
• Pete and the Pirates – Mr Understanding
• Remember Remember – Fountain Mountain
• Santogold – You’ll find a way
• Those Dancing Days – Hitten

Rather an indiepop-tastic selection this year (getting old?) but fuck it.  My favourite?  Hmmmm.  Fountain Mountain probably (the original version rather than the split version that appeared on the album).

Books:

I managed to get through an impressive 53 books this year (not including comics) and out of those my favourites were:

• We need to talk about Kevin – Lionel Shriver
• The Murder of Roger Akroyd – Agatha Christie
• I am Legend – Richard Matheson
• Regeneration – Pat Barker

My favourite was ‘We need to talk about Kevin’ – an incredibly powerful and compelling story.  Plus this was the year I discovered Agatha Christie and more importantly, Poirot.  The full list is at my Goodreads site on the right.

So, that’s it for the lists.  Not a bad year all in all.

 

Just like a swimmer

K left the country yesterday for New Zealand (via LA) which is sad but exciting.  Sad as we don’t get to see each other for the next 3 months but exciting as it’s the start of a new life.  Exciting also because I got my job in Christchurch so now can buy my plane ticket.  Add to my ticket to Nepal I bought last week and life is very exciting.  Well, apart from today which is just ok.

Paid in a check, bought some books, then fought a massive desire to just read my book rather than do anything ‘constructive’.  Meh.  Plus the weather is switching from baking sun to pounding rain and back again at the touch of a random button.

———————————-

An interesting video for the new Mogwai single Batcat has been released.  It’s an odd tune, very metal.  I need to hear this album as a whole as none of the recent tunes seem to fit together.  Watch it here.

We saw The Dark Knight again the other day at the IMAX – it really does look great on such a huge screen and is worth the journey.

 

Low

Not sure why I’m posting this now – just been listening to Drums and Guns again (my favourite album of last year).  These are the videos that came from the album plus the great version of Murderer I posted right at the start of this blog.

Belarus

 

Breaker

 

Breaker (Animated version)

 

 

Hatchet (Optimimi version)

 

In Silence

 

 

Murderer (Live)

 

 

 

Mogwai – Sun smells too loud (video)

It’s growing on me and this fan video helps!

 

The Sun Smells Too Loud

New Mogwai song released from their forthcoming album The Hawk is Howling.  It’s called The sun smells too loud.  Not sure how I feel about it on first listen – it’s quite upbeat, almost pop-like which doesn’t remind me of the new tracks I saw at Queen Elizabeth Hall a month or so ago.  Very much looking forward to the new album though.  Mr Beast gradually did sink in but I’m still not a huge fan.

I don’t know if I ever mentioned this but I met Stuart Braithwaite at the above gig when he sat in front of me at the mixing desk during the Remember Remember set (which was truly stunning by the way – keep an eye out).  Stuart looked puzzled but did sign my book and drew a smiley face when I asked him.  The whole thing made me stupidly happy!  A hero of mine and all I can do is look stupid and ask for an autograph…What is the best way to deal with your heros?  Never meet them?

Check out the (legal) mp3 here

 

Hello

Been a while.  Been doing stuff.  Been happy.  Hence no need to write!  Although the astute readers may notice I am indeed writing (and by the time this is read will indeed have written) I’m still happy.  Just felt like it.

A few weeks back I saw Bowling for Soup live.  Really don’t ask.  I was made to go.  Still, despite the crappy music I did really enjoy the atmosphere of a few hundred kids really getting into it, singing along, dancing, moshing and generally having huge amounts of fun.  I kind of miss that at gigs as a lot of the bands I’m listening to seem to attract people who stand around without moving looking cool.  Displaying emotion seems to get you frowned at.  I’ve tried.  I miss my crowd surfing days…

Still, saw Ed Harcourt a few weeks back who played a really good set in front of barely any people (one of whom was his mum) in a lovely intimate setting.  There was no ‘backstage’ so at the end he had to come off through the crowd to hide behind a stairway long enough to come back for an encore.  That was nice.

And then last Friday I saw Iron & Wine at St George’s church which is pretty much one of the best venues I’ve been to.  A working church (annoying so on Sunday morning where it’s bells chime continuously for about 20 mins at 8am!), we sat at the end on the pews of the balcony, drinking mulled wine!  Perfect location for what was a wonderful gig.  I wasn’t a huge fan of the earlier two albums (a bit too stripped back and folky for me) but liked the Woman King EP and adore The Shepard’s Dog (one of my favourite albums of the year).  He mainly played the new tunes with a few older favourites and the band were great.

At one point between songs, some guy down the middle shouted out politely ‘This is brilliant, thank you!’.  That’s why I love living in Brighton!  The whole thing felt like he was playing in a communal front room.

Later that night staying at K’s house (which is directly opposite the church about 15ft over the road – hence the annoying bells at the weekend) we went into the kitchen to make some late night food and I saw him and the band packing away all the kit into their truck.  So I went over and had a chat with him.  And he was really nice!  Friendly, relaxed and very modest.  And because I’m geeky and get star struck I asked if he would sign my album (making me glad I do still buy cds), so now I have ‘To Andy, nice to meet you, Sam Beam’ on the inside.  Awesomeness.

Lots of other things are good too but that will do for now.  I am annoyed the Besnard Lakes have randomly cancelled their gig though.  Going to see Mono in a few weeks.  Got to go.

 

Up against a wall

Ha.  Awesome weekend.

Saw Peter, Bjorn & John on Saturday night and despite some last minute friend-dropping-outage I managed to find an old frined from Uni who was around and willing and we went along.  Annoyingly missed the first 20 mins as they came on ridiculously early but no matter as they were amazing.  So much energy and they looked like they were having so much fun up there (at different points both of the front men fell over during big rocking performances as they were so excited!).  Ha ha.  Plus, they really did something new with all the tracks which made it a little more special.  They really rocked it.  Mucho happy.  Lots of random people I know also turned out to be there so some drinks after went down well.

Then Sunday night!  Bizarre.  I went out with two of the girls I’ve got to know, first for food and then back to the Concorde for a club night.  All we knew was that it was ‘Rock & Roll’.  So it turned out to be a northern-soul/roackabilly night where most people in there were a good decade older than us (and one couple were in their sixties at least), fulled dressed up to the nines – guys in full suits and hates, girls in early sixties garb.  It was amazing!  We danced like crazy people till 4 at which point I had to stop moving (couldn’t last through to 6am) and then spent a while laying at the waters edge watching the moon on the water.  Very nice.  I love being back in Brighton.

Slept most of yesterday.  Ha ha.  And now to work. 

 

Mirrored

So on Tuesday night I saw Battles at the Concorde 2.  And they were AWESOME (excuse the shouting).  Seriously, they were storming.  Considering their style of music they were so tight and so electrifying I have no idea how they held it together that well.  The whole thing from start to finish was intense and relentless and their drummer seriously deserves an arms of steel award because he must be a machine.  Atlas was great but I really liked Ddiamond.  They played most of Mirrored with some of the EP stuff.  Nice work.  Supported by Math Class who seemed interesting but we only caught the last 3 tracks.  After getting upset at not blagging myself a ticket anywhere my mate managed to get a ticket off a tout for a bargain so I ran down and was subsequently very happy.

Then last night I got to see the Bourse Ultimatum and it was every bit as good as I wanted to it to be.  One of the most entertaining and thrilling films I’ve seen in a long while.  The tension at times, in fact, the whole way through was, well, intense (English not working too well today).  Really gripping and a real connection to the character.  Matt Damon again demonstrates why he’s a great actor.  Add that to Harry Potter and Transformers and we’re having a late resurgence of the mostly crap summer season.  Now on the distant horizon I’m left waiting for Iron Man, The Dark Knight and Hulk (along with a few others that aren’t based on comics).  Oh yeah, Northern Lights (don’t care what you say – it’s called Northern Lights, not the Golden Compass).

Anyway, got to go.  Enjoying Brighton!

 

Sad songs remind us of friends…

It’s been a hectic week since getting back from the Lakes. Suffering from the late nights and the stress already though I did have 4 people tell me in the first few days that I looked like I’d gone on holiday which was nice.

Got my flat sorted in Brighton and going to meet the landlord Tuesday to finalise the details. Excellent.

And then on Thursday I saw Mogwai at Somerset House in London. And? I hate to say it but I came away slightly disappointed. Crap. It wasn’t the best I’ve seen them though maybe after the legendary Royal Albert Hall gig I might have to scale back my expectations. They were just on fire that night. Anyway, the venue was great (large open air courtyard) with perfect weather. It was also in surround sound which was pretty cool and being in the middle did sound awesome. Most of the feedback came through and felt like the noise was washing over you from all directions. But they didn’t seem to find the volume until half way through. Near the end there were moments of ear splitting intensity but nothing as bad as I’ve seen before.

But my biggest problem came with the setlist:

• superheroes of bmx
• friend of the night
• I know you are but what am I?
• ratts of the capital
• 7:25
• hunted by a freak
• R U still in 2 it?
• travel is dangerous
• stop coming to my house
• ex-cowboy
• small children in the background
• glasgow mega-snake
• we’re no here

encore:

• cody
• 2 rights make 1 wrong

First the good: they played some older tracks and it’s the first time I’ve ever seen them play R U still in 2 it which went beyond awesome as they had the legendary Aiden Moffet (from the sadly defunct Arab Strap) turn up to provide the hauntingly melancholy vocals. Unfortunately half the crowd didn’t know who he was. They also played ex-cowboy which is the song that started it all off for me (and still sounds darkly relentless – they played this one loud), GMS was ridiculously entertaining as always and there was a lot of singing this time especially from Stuart (not seen that for a while).

The bad? Well, the opening truncated version of Superheroes could have been better (it’s on of my top 5 gwai tunes) but my main gripe is no Herod, no Fear Satan, no Helicon and no Xmas Steps? And no big ending? They had a brief 5 min sonic assult after we’re no here, then came back for their encore. 2 rights was done pretty well but I saw the definitive version of this at the RAH and this just couldn’t compare. Still, beautiful song which was played out and ended suddenly as it does and then…goodnight, thanks very much. I stood there for about 10 mins with a bewildered look on my face waiting for them to come back on and end it properly but no. 11pm, curfew, end of gig. No final monumentous sonic adventure with mountains of feedback and distortinfg and pure mind fucking noise? Nope. It’s like you’re having the most mind blowing sex ever and then just as you’re about to come everything suddenly stops and that’s it (an analogy the women are more likely to relate to I suspect). I have to say that really got to me.

So, not the best time ever and an odd way to end it but hey. They’re still my favourite band and I’m devoted to them so can’t complain too much. Support was from Malcolm Middleton (the other member of the Strap) and he was really quite awesome. Set was mainly from his recent A Brighter Beat which is a great little album and worth checking out. Only members of the Strap could sound so cheery while singing about such depressing things!

Then while feeling low anyway on Friday I managed to miss the leaving do of one of my favourite people I’ve met this year. Mainly because I fell asleep after getting home form work and didn’t leave to really late, by which point it was over. Rectified this by going down to Brighton yesterday and having coffee with her and later her husband. I still find it strange that I have married friends. In fact, the more people I find / find me on Facebook, the more people I know are married or have kids. Scary shit.

As I was feeling low Friday I went to see Harry Potter in the middle of the night which I’m glad to say was awesome. I really don’t like the 5th book, it’s too long and Harry is such a miserable moody fuck in it that I can barely cope reading it. However, they really did a good job with the adaptation and the movie is tight and really cinematic. They portray him well, get across his frustration and rage without alienating him and they make the ending exciting opposed to the let down I felt with the book. The final battle is truly a spectacle. Really can’t wait till next week when the final one comes out. Not that I’ll be able to read it for a few days as I’m doing the Three Peaks next weekend. More on that later though as this has become really long.

 

Word Bitches

Ha ha – back from holiday with a surprisingly swift 300 mile drive this morning/afternoon.  Since then?  About 5 fucking hours catching up with t’internet.  Bloody internet.  Still, holiday was fun and relaxing for the most part and aside from a few rainy days to start with the weather really picked up.  The last few have been glorious.  Unpacked, not washed any clothes yet and a mountain of Things To Sort.  All to be left as tomorrow I’m on call with nearly my while team (excellent – bedlam on Thursday then) and the next night I’m seeing Mogwai!  Ha ha.  I’d pretty much forgotten so that’s a wonderful surprise.  Somewhere amongst that I also have to go down to Brighton to sign the lease for my flat.  Hmmm.  And iron some shirts.  I do not like to iron.

Came this close:
to setting the fire alarms off after getting distracted listening to Transparent Things by the awesome Fujiya & Miyagi.  Really should listen to more of the music on my iTunes.  I also have no idea who the baby is but it was the best image I could come up with to demonstrate quite how close I was.  There was smoke and a dive for the fire doors.  Plus window wafting.  Lots of wafting.

Pictures of lots of mountains and valleys will follow when I get round to it.  Already sorted some but many more to come yet.  Will link them here.  For now got to go though.  Later.

 

Portrait of a lady

Eating ice cream.  Tired.  Been a long day but actually not as bad as I thought it would be at work.  Sick people behaved themselves for me.  Which is nice.  Still have a massive presentation to prepare (i.e. do) for Thursday, so that will be done tomorrow night then.  Excellent.

Went down to Brighton, discovering a new and quicker way to drive into the centre and park.  That only took me 6 years then.

Saw two flats and their occupants and both were really nice.  In completely different ways.  Hmmm.  The people also seemed really nice.  It must be really hard to assess what people are like in a short half hour meeting.  I mean, I was tired and feeling unwell (illness + cough + steep hill = wheezy and SOB Andy) and frankly a little shy at the first house.  I wasn’t quite know how to act and be, so I was a subdued version of myself I think.  Loosened up at the second after realising this.

Flat hunting and meeting new potential flatmates / friends is kind of like speed dating.  Small, short interactions with people, trying to put yourself across as someone desirable to live with despite not knowing how they think or what they are looking for, all with the possibility of spending the next year of your life with them.  It’s a risk.  I suggested the top three potential should be made to endure a competition against each other in a series of small challenges.  That would sort them out (and probably be quite fun).  If I had both flats offered to me I’m not entirely sure which I would accept.  One will let me know tomorrow so we shall see.

(I’m also conscious of the fact that potential new flatmates could be reading this after following the link on my MySpace page so I’m not saying too much on purpose.  Ha ha).

Realised I’m also on holiday for all of next week to better organise something for that too.  And Ulka asked me to sort out the music for her party on Thursday.  Now as happy as it makes me to be specifically asked I’m not sure I will because though I like my music and so does she, everyone else here gets really arsey and complains about ‘my taste in music’.  I mean it’s not like I play Mogwai and Low at the party – I have dancing, fun music with an indie bent.  I just don’t have the Pussycat Dolls or Girls Aloud.  So I don’t want to have the grief (which has already started from a couple of people) as it will piss me off and I’ll sulk.  Ha ha.  No I won’t but I’d just rather avoid the hassle.

 

A nice sight to drink to

Feeling a little bit better but I’ve got a dirty cough which is unpleasant.  Today was a bit of a blow out.  Got down to Brighton after lunch and mooched around in the grey rain.  And the guys I was supposed to meet up with to check out the flat never showed.  Turned out (later) that she had lost her phone last night.  So, nothing really achieved but I did buy some music, some comics and a dvd.

There’s a really good, small indie/alternative record store in the North Laines called Resident which pretty much has everything that isn’t part of the mainstream including all the indie from the US and Canada.  Basically my shopping heaven.  Can’t wait till I can go there every week and buy music slightly more eclectic than that at HMV or Virgin.

Picked up the new album by The National:

I really liked Alligator and this is as good on first few listens, maybe better (though there’s nothing quite so exciting as Mr November).  The melancholy, subdued vocals are really enchanting and there’s some great percussion work here.  It’s very peaceful despite all the guitars and wotnot.  The Editors should take note.

I also bought the début album from Amiina:

They provided the string section for Sigur Ros on the last few albums and this is their debut.  It’s all quiet, melodic, wispy, beautifulness with a host of strange instruments.  Really quite lovely and great for unwinding.  Can’t wait to let this one sink in a bit more.  Plus, the cd packaging is great – it’s a thick, gatefold cardboard sleeve (similar to the stuff they make young kids books out of – the ones you can really chew the corners of) which looks and feels divine.  Always nice to see thought going into packaging.

I also bought Tideland by Terry Gilliam which I’ve been meaning to buy for a while, so will let you know what I think of it once I get round to watching it (maybe tonight if I get my arse into gear and actually do some of the things I need to do before morning comes around).

Off to Brighton again to tomorrow to check out another flat (and have a few lined up for next weekend) so fingers crossed.  Chilli on the hob, bubbling away.  I’m off.

 

Holy Merde

This guy is amazing!

 

 

I’ve never heard anything that good before. I love the short bit at the middle when the fat bass goes mental and then he drops it back to the beat. Simply outstanding. And the funniest thing? The really muted response from the French judges when he finishes. Anywhere else and they would have exploded (you can see they wanted to).

 

The way that you move is a mystery…

Not the greatest on call but not the worst either.  Felt long though.  Highlight was the three of us running the length of the hospital for a chest pain call during the middle of the day, dodging patients.  I say running but it was more Bay Watch style running – lots of arm movement.  I think we were actually moving at normal walking speed but it looked like we were running.  And it was an unnecessary call.  And I hurt my knee.

Later a friend surprised me by being more insightful regarding me than anyone has for a while.  For a long while.  Someone ‘got’ me.  And it made me smile.  I’m frankly not used to people listening enough (and then not actually thinking about the implications of what’s been said.  Or what hasn’t).

So tomorrow a group of us are heading up to London to watch We Will Rock You.  I’m not sure what possessed me to say yes to this venture.  I mean, I pretty much grew up on Queen (along with Status Quo, Jean Michelle Jarre, Dark Side of the Moon, Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds – thanks Dad; and Dr Hook – thanks Mum) but that kind of died for me a while back.  Aside from every George’s disco I’ve gone to I’ve not listened to Queen for years.  Oh well, my Dad’s seen it and said it was good and I guess it’ll be different to the usual.

So what would I rather be doing in my oh so exciting life?  Well, sadly watching Battlestar Galactica.  After sticking on my brothers dvd of the pilot out of curiosity last year – it was 11pm and I was back home and wanted to watch something – 3 hours later when it finished, I could barely move and was hooked.  I’m halfway through season 2 now and just watched ‘Pegasus’ and I’ve realised quite how much of an emotional attachment I’ve developed.  It’s that point where you start shouting at the screen when things fuck up and it all turns bad and things change that you don’t want and you get upset.  I mean really upset!  When you start talking out loud at the show you know you care.  Annoyingly it’s a 3 parter (didn’t know that to start) and has a big cliffhanger and it’s too late to watch the next two.  Grrrr.  Haven’t felt that strongly about a show since Buffy.  Ha ha.

Such a loser.

 

The other great thing about London…

Forgot to mention – amidst all the fun at the weekend I bought some comics and then spent a while reading them in the sun in the little park behind the Astoria.  When I realised I was going to be late I wandered up to Oxford Street to catch the Tottenham Court Road tube and stumbled upon the annual World Naked Bike Ride.  Yep, every year a load of bike nuts get on their bikes and ride around London (and indeed the world) protesting about cyclist rights and how evil cars are.  Naked.  Yep.  That’s naked.

Now personally I can’t imagine being on a bike naked is the most comfortable experience for males or females but there you go.  Lots of people had body paint (those two with the full body orange paint got cheers) but my favourite was the rickshaw with both driver and passengers all starkers.

And just because you won’t believe me here’s a crap picture from my phone (it just took me about half an hour to work out how to get the bloody thing from phone to internet so enjoy it):

 

I love London sometimes!

 

Plus, I know that it’s been out for a while but All my friends by LCD Soundsystem is great.  Really great.  As is D.A.N.C.E by Justice.  Enjoy the vids and hit the floor.

 

All crop tops and testosterone passions…

My car failed the MOT today. Which was annoying. But they fixed it relatively easy and it didn’t fail on major things. Which was good. Then they charged me £171. Which is not so good. At least I don’t have to do it for another year.

Climbing also was rather lame today – it’s only been a few weeks we’ve had off and I seem to have lost all strength and skill. I did however climb two 6A routes which is a step up. No cheating or falling either so it’s not all bad. Plus my arms and indeed whole body are wiped out so I should sleep well.

Which I almost couldn’t do after locking myself out of my room. Got so excited about my car being back that I picked up my car keys instead of house keys. Fool.

And just before I go to bed: you should subscribe to the KEXP podcasts. You really should. They’re a radio station based in Seattle (I think), playing a decent selection of music. Best of all though is there daily free song podcast. Get it and then you can listen to the wonderfully bouncy and fun You! Me! Dancing! by Los Campesinos! They’re a Welsh band and frankly this song is one of the most joyous tunes around right now. Heard it a few times on the radio and then got it for free through the podcast. There’s a lot of other good stuff including tracks by Low, The Shins, Battles, Spoon, Maps, Peter Bjorn and John, Ted Leo etc.

Download. Listen. Be happy!

Night.