As promised.....

Sunday is upon us once more.....bringing with it a whole shitload of downloadable goodness!
Starting with this actually......the 50 best videos of the year! Rah!
http://docopenhagen.blogspot.com/2006/12/top-50-music-videos-of-2006.html
It's interesting to note the meteoric rise of youtube and its effect on blog posts like that one: last year, I can remember all the "Best Video" blog posts, and NONE were composed of solid 'tube action at all.....
(make sure you check out the info on downloading the clips to your ipod or pc!!!)
And while we're at it.here's another of those "Best of 2006" posts, chock-full of stuff you should investigate: Girl Talk (I know, yet again......) Pete Yorn, Josh Ritter and the glorious EP from Josh Rouse as well......
http://fuelfriends.blogspot.com/2006/12/my-favorites-of-2006.html
AND HERE'S MORE!!!!!
30 killers from 2006.......Girl Talk AGAIN, Mates Of State, Peter Bjorn and John, The Dears, Concretes.....there's stuff we've visited before, but plug the holes in your collection of tunes RIGHT NOW :)))))))))))
http://whokilledthemixtape.blogspot.com/2006/12/you-could-try-to-feel-more-alive_09.html
I'm not sure if i've plugged this site before, but it's one of my favourites....constantly focussing on the overlooked, the underdog, the forgotten classics, all those things which are guaranteed to pique my interest....including The The :))))))))
http://dustonthestylus.blogspot.com/2006/11/the-armageddon-days-are-here-again.html
Time for an odd cover version....Lady Sov does the Sex Pistols:
http://marchonelectricchildren.blogspot.com/2006/12/new-covers.html
(FYI, it's from the new O.C. covers CD)
Regular readers will know the extent of my obsession with early Ultravox! stuff........for those of you out there going "what???" here's the reason why. They ROCKED. http://www.kbdrecords.com/2006/11/25/ultravox-frozen-ones-7/
Some more of that "Best Of 2006" action now:
http://knkisser.blogspot.com/2006/12/top-ten-songs-of-2006.html
(Props for the Regina Spektor and Beth Orton, nice varied choices.....isn't this time of year great? all the blogs start to bulge with great tunes......)
Here's one of those posts that makes your jaw hit the floor:
http://www.moistworks.com/2006/12/hanging-garden-cure-pornography.html
Short, sweet, to the point. And that Cure track is just wonderful.
To make up for the fact that there's never enough Jazz on the mighty X, hell, there's never ANY Jazz........
have some of this:
http://www.moteldemoka.com/2006/12/08/christmas-at-moka/
Here's my favourite post of the week, inspired by some wise words from Andy Partidge from XTC, with a slew of wonderful tunes accompanying it: live Joy Division, The Slits, The Pop Group.....
http://timedoor.textdriven.com/index.php?id=118
And while we're on about The Slits, this page has a detailed bio of the band as well as some rare Mp3's....
http://www.warpedrealitymagazine.com/2006/12/once_upon_a_time_in_brooklyn.html
More from the Good Weather For Airstrikes blog now, which has shown its good taste time and again recently.....
Well, here it really lays its colours down in support of the incredible Johnny Boy, whose debut single "You Are The Generation That Bought More Shoes And You Get What You Deserve" was one of the most heart-stoppingly fabulous records of the last 5 years. Why it wasn't MASSIVE still irks me enormously.........
http://www.goodweatherforairstrikes.com/test/2006/12/09/artist-profile-johnny-boy/
Nice look back at Nick Lowe, one of the pioneering figures of the Punk scene ( he was not really a punk himself, but he put out the first single on Stiff Records AND produced the first Damned album....)
http://soundofthesuburb.blogspot.com/2006/12/nick-lowe.html
Saddest news of the week was the sudden death of Wiz, the driving force behind Mega City 4, RIP Wiz, you'll be missed.
MC4 at their best:
http://www.idolator.com/tunes/mp3/the-vault-taking-a-trip-to-mega-city-four-220408.php
I spent many years DJ'ing Techno and Acid Trance stuff around London and elsewhere ( and had WAY too much fun doing it, I might add)
This track by DJ Hell was a staple of my sets. It STILL sounds utterly bonkers, and I still love it to bits.
http://ill-ec-tro-nic.blogspot.com/2006/12/dare-you-dance.html
I think I should plug another one of those bands who I think wil be huge in 2007.....check this out...i'm absolutely obsessed by this song......TigerCity
http://music.for-robots.com/archives/001756.html
Great post from Laurence over at Covert Curiosity, with some musings on the nature of Indie Pop, and some Camera Obscura and The Boy Least Likely To as evidence:
http://covertcuriosity.com/?p=226
Not sure if it's still working ( it's been caned a bit over the last few days) but see if you can grab the Diplo/Beatles re-rub here:
http://sluttyfringe.wordpress.com/2006/12/07/i-hate-beetroot/
And, to finish, a great post which kicks seven bells out of Kerrang!, and puts proper Punk Rock back on the agenda.
"Here it is...........again........and it's called..........12XU!!!!"
http://www.culturebully.com/archives/2148
I've been in a Punk mood this week, haven't I? Never forget your roots,
hold it down,
love,
iain
x