Hey Neato!

(I know you're lurking.......)
This one's for you:
"Stay away from my bobcat man, he'll tear you to pieces"

I love it when people fire off a great rant.......

Even more so when it's pertinent, well thought out and debunks every myth about having to buy new technology just for the sake of it.
Stop buying products that serve any other master than you.
Related: Don't bother with the iphone, either.
Today has been, if I'm honest, a singularly depressing sort of a day. The weather is closing in over my head; slate-grey and silver clouds teem with fat droplets of dirty rain, the roads are like shiny black snakes, squirming their oily curves beneath the river of cars trying to avoid the western limits of the congestion zone. Work is a tightrope walk between the technical back-end and the brand-management of the on-air strategy and I'm finding it hard to stifle my sighs.

More on Hilary Clinton....

(FYI: she's been using "RHRN" as a campaign song)
Hilary Finds Jesus (Jones)
Other things that've been keeping me interested this week........
What do you think is the interesting thing about this young lady?
Well, she's not real, that's what. Completely computer-generated. Unbelievable.

This is where I'm heading.
And here is the absolute motherlode of cat photos: including all you could ever want from the "Here I am, _______ in Ur ________, __________ Ur _________" meme
And for all of those who are still confused, here's the mighty MeFi on the same topic

Other stuff that's been going on this week....well, there was an Idlewild session in Islington on Tuesday night; I was struck by just HOW GOOD they were: after the last gig I saw them play (at the Shepherds Bush Empire) which was shockingly bad. The gig this week was chock-full of louche charm, a swaggering selection of all their hits, and a cautious bonhomie with the crowd that was really endearing. The new album is great AND they're involved in a collaborative poetry album project at the moment as well: was there ever a strategy LESS designed to get in the NME? For that reason alone, they deserve your undying love.

Apologies....

It's been way too long, i've been lazy, I know.
In my defence, it's all been kicking off at Westway towers since the start of this new year; there's loads of things up in the air, lots of possibilities floating around in the ether, i'm just waiting for a little crystallisation.
Sorry to be so vague, but you'll know more soon, I hope.
One of the things that HAS been occupying my time is Middle Age Shred; it's a web-site and forum for old skaters like me: it's great to know there's a like-minded group of people whose legs ache like mine, who crave wider boards and old-school moves....
I've also got myself sorted out with a USB turntable, so i'll do my best to post up some of the tracks i've ripped from vinyl :)
What was the first thing I ripped? "Jack And Jill" by Victims Of Pleasure. It's an old piece of 80's synth-pop featuring Virginia astley on piano......
So, what's happening today? Well, i've re-jigged one of my old set-ups: I've changed the trucks on my Doug Smith "Bomb" from aggro Trackers to indy 159's. I'd like 169's, but there a nightmare to get for a board with old-school mounting patterns...
Whatever, the board'll now ride like a dream, so i'm going to introduce it to the seafront a little later on.......

Oh bloody hell it's been a while...

My apologies, it's been a little *hectic* in my life at the moment. More soon, but for now, it's youtube time. And it's time for The Gonz. How does he do this stuff? I'll never know. Check out:
1) Gonz putting his foot UNDER A CAR TYRE at the beginning of this video. If I did that...broken foot. Period.
2) That trick where he just walks along the bench. GENIUS.
3) Gonz trying to explain positivity and negativity at the end.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpLoJeSnl3U

...and the reason i'm so psyched about it...

is that i've got that painting at home. Marcus Thompson (the artist responsible for the "Who Where Why" video) made that painting for EMI to show what he wanted to make the video look like. A few months later, I was in the EMI offices and saw it sitting at the back of a pile of old records and other odd rubbish. I distracted their attention, grabbed the painting and took it home. All the members of the band have got some of the wooden figures from the video (Isambard Kingdom Brunel with Beethoven's head, that sort of thing) but I got the painting. Rah!!!!

Hurrah! this is online......

Right, here's the mailout....

Yay! Rah! etc. etc. Sunday is here again, and so are the downloads..........
Where do we start? With one of those posts where you say to yourself "Jesus, what happened to THEM?" (providing you can remember them in the first place)
So, from the era of The JoBoxers and The Stray Cats, here's some Roman Holiday........
http://lostinthe80s.blogspot.com/2006/12/stilletto-heels-and-split-skirt-youre.html
More of that "best of the year" action.....worth it for the Joanna Newsom and M.Ward..............
http://sand-is-overrated.blogspot.com/2006/12/2006-is-overrated-part-2-tracks-of_16.html
Oh, i'm loving this one.........how about a Ramones album............FOR YOUR KIDS? :)))))))))))))
http://music.for-robots.com/archives/001766.html
Here's a HUGE post of Xmas songs (you can get the lot as a zip file) but in amongst them all is my favourite Xmas song ever, the only one ever to bring a tear to my eye: "I'm Getting Pissed For Christmas" by Peter And The Test Tube Babies
http://somethingold-somethingnew.blogspot.com/2006/12/have-something-something-christmas_15.html
How about some live Oasis? Oh go on then................
http://mainstreamisntsobad.blogspot.com/2006/12/oasis-in-snow.html
If you haven't got the Soulwax/Gossip remix, you haven't lived...and the squeakeklean remix of Teddybears is THE FUCKING KNOCK as well :))))))
http://www.sandwichclub.fm/blog/2006/12/thom-yorke-black-jellybean-in-remix.html
This next tune is another one of those ones which is never far from my ipod....."Shine a Light" by Wolf Parade...
http://memo57.blogspot.com/2006/12/light-candle.html
Here's something i've not heard for ages............
Awesome stuff from Isaac Hayes inc full 18 minute (!!) version of "Ain't No Sunshine"
http://floodwatchmusic.com/blog2/2006/12/15/five-covers-for-a-friday-vol-4-isaac-hayes/
Monster post (in German) which has got some great stuff: Richard X/Jarvis Cocker...Decemberists/Hard-Fi
http://www.mr-brightside.net/wp/2006/12/15/verlieren-wir-keine-zeit/
One of my favourite Punk bands of the 80's, The Subhumans...(FYI, the lead singer used to work in my local garage in Wiltshire)
http://www.7inchpunk.com/?p=846
Mixed bag, with Beck, Morphine ("Thursday" is just INCREDIBLE)
http://staergetaleht.blogspot.com/2006/12/random-friday-post-good-week.html
Mash-up time.....a whole slew of versions of Jay-Z's "Encore"
http://feedmegoodtunes.blogspot.com/2006/12/tired-tired.html
Ok, here's another one of my obsessions, Old School Hardcore....some classic Moving Shadow stuff from DJ Trax.....
http://dilate.choonz.com/index.php?id=1035
Actually, while we're at it, here's some more QUALITY hardcore, from my favourite Old-School outfit EVER, the amazing 2 Bad Mice.......they are the soundtrack to every great memory I have of raving Si...if you're listening today, much love, hold it down.
http://www.thewhitenoiserevisited.co.uk/2006/12/freaky-dancin.html
And to finish? One of my tips for the top again........Bird And Bee are signed to Blue Note (!) but don't think it's just jazz.......
http://womenfolk.net/archives/2006/11/27/high-notes-vol-5/
do follow the links to the myspazzz page for more stuff as well.....
Howzat? More next week, with a bumper Xmas special :))))))
love,
iain
x

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK

Can you imagine riding a wave this big? There's a moment, just after the jet-ski let's the surfer go...when I SWEAR you can hear that little fart escaping...the one that only turns up when you're absolutely terrified :)
The other piece of Youtube GENIUS at the moment is this: you've got to get to the end for it to make sense, so stick with it.........
And this clip is great as well.....that's all we are: little bits of nothing. God is dead: Hail Satan

happy Xmas kids.


p.s.
There is no Santa Claus.

Brakes last night...

Were just incredible, the highlight was "The Most Fun" which sounds a little like an afterthought on the first album, but live it has this subtle release of power and malevolence that just floors me. Nice to see CJ from Scream, whose Xmas party it was, plus associated other folk including a somewhat refreshed John Hillcock (John, if you're reading this, check out the Tigercity track in the mailout) and of course, my partner in crime for the night, this chap. Brighton tonight, after even more coding.

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

....and i've reverted to my original hit counter too

...as the new one didn't give me the breakdown of user stats.
Jesus, this may be my most boring post EVER.
Right, let's eat some chinese food and get out of here.

Another busy week.....

Loads of stuff going on: Winter Wonderland, obviously, at the weekend....the hightlight of which, for me, was The Feeling's cover of "Video Killed The Radio Star" , camp as christmas, but utterly beguiling. The noise of the crowd when Tenacious D stepped out onto the stage was absolutely seismic, I thought my ears were going to stat bleeding.....
But the real highlight of the week was Brakes, live at KCLSU; they were just absolutely spectacular, I had a grin a mile wide for days after: in fact, they were SO good i'm going for another dose tonight, when they play at Metro.
Might try and reign in the partying a little tonight though, I managed to get trollied last night after going out for beers post-footy. Should have won the game, but hey-ho, the season's still young and we've got a run of games coming up to rival Man U's easy start to the season.
Lots of coding going on for the website project, the streams should be ready by the middle of the week, i'm really looking forward to seeing how it works (and keeping my fingers crossed that it actually does work) I'll post the mailout of links eithr a little bit later, or tomorrow morning.

OK....

Blogger seems to have recovered from its temporary brain-fart, and links are now possible once more. I've amended the mailout so the links work (phew!)
On the subject of links, i've been delving deeper into Web 2.0 and it's social-networking possibilities, but it's the explosion in aggregation sites that's making me excited....from Digg to Technorati, there are loads out there, but it's nice to see others emerge; and it's also nice to see that these new arrivals have still managed to find niches within which to establish themselves...
Here's my new favourite: BuzzFeed.

And while i'm at it....

What the hell's happened to blogger? I can't insert HTML links........