Monday 30 May 2011

Second week on the blog

Didn't actually put up any more gig posts, but there will be at least one next week as I am off to see Art Brut again (sixth time - doesn't seem like much!) on Wednesday. I did put up a number of my old end of year charts though, and from time to time I will go through my old stuff and add things I put on other blogs in the past - makes the archives look pretty weird though as I haven't really been posting stuff on this blog since 2000. Had another 67 page views, none of which were me this time, and as well as the usual visitors from UK and USA I had views from Germany, Denmark, Colombia and South Korea which was nice. And I doubled my Twitter followers, or added 1, whatever sounds best!

Saturday 28 May 2011

Great Covers Of Our Time: 1. Weezer - Paranoid Android

Well to be honest I've posted it but I've only listened to it once. It's good - but PA is such a BIG song in my life that any cover would be great. And it seemed like a good idea for a theme of stuff to post. (Can't think of any great covers now ...)



For some reason, trending on Twitter in Chile and Peru (and Canada, although that's not so weird). Maybe because the video was put up on Youtube by Weezer less than 24 hours ago and has had 150,000 plays already?

I'm From Barcelona - We're From Barcelona



Filed under music but it's inspired by the football. A 3-1 demolition of Manchester United, which wasn't so bad. West Ham beat them 4-0 in the Carling Cup earlier this year, and we got relegated!

I'm From Barcelona are a 29-piece baroque pop band from Jonkoping in Sweden - this is one of their first releases, from 2006.

My ex Brother-in-Law's shit record collection

This is the best thing I have ever seen on eBay, EVER. It's not just the abuse at the start, it's the way he just doesn't let off at any point.

And he's dead right, this is EXACTLY how to treat people who like this music. Billsmoker from Croydon, I SALUTE YOU.

Originally appearing on http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/290570522953 EDIT: Can't believe eBay took this down after less than two days, glad I saved it!



My ex Brother-in-Law's shit record collection
Jazz funk, soul, disco, bollocks. 50 discs 12" & LP

You are bidding on a collection of 50 (approx) 12" singles and LPs of crap music.

My sister found these in her attic last weekend, where they has been sat gathering dust for the last couple of decades. They used to belong to her ex-husband, who is one of the biggest arseholes ever to draw breath. I never liked the wanker, and based my initial antipathy towards him on his taste in music. Not to put too fine a point on it, he was that most contemptible form of pond life, a Jazz Funker. This meant that as well as shit taste in music, he had appalling taste in clothes too. Pringle jumpers, pleated Farrahs, shoes that looked like pasties, white socks, revolting shirts and a comical wedge-cut hairdon't. Add to this 80s fashion horrorshow a Ford Capri and Super Mario-style moustache underlining his bulbous nose, and you get an object lesson in twatdom. No wonder Northern Soul fans (and everyone else) treated the Jazz Funk fans with sneering comntempt.

I couldn't comprehend what on earth my usually sensible sister could possibly see in the pillock. In vain I pleaded with her to send him packing. My argument that his hankering for Earth Wind & Fire records and attendance at soul weekenders made him a poor choice of mate was waved away as the rantings of a callow youth. She felt my reasoning was unsound.

Reader, she married him.

He made her life miserable for a few years with his moping, moody belligerence (and playing horrendous records like these). He told her lies and generally behaved like a platinum c*nt. Then he dumped her for his mistress when my sister was four months pregnant.

It's now nearly 20 years later and I would still like to take a meat tenderizer to his face. But his most horrendous crime, worse than wiring up my granny's shower so it was electrically live, worse even than his infidelity or the awful way he treated my sister, was the fact that he actually liked the abomination known as Jazz Funk. Here is the evidence. What a bastard.

Well, I suppose I'd better tell you what's for sale, though why you would actually want to own this dreck is beyond me. It's basically music for people who have a deep-seated hatred of music and want to inflict their pain on the world. But here goes nothing.

First the 12" singles.

ARTIST A B Label No Comment Year Condition (visual)
Beggar & Co (Somebody) Help me out b/w Rising Sun Ensign ENYT201 1981 VG++
Bob James Sign of the times b/w Westchester Lady ; Tappan Zee CBS 1608 1981 VG
Central Line Nature Boy (full version) b/w Nature Boy (83 mix) ; You've said enough Mercury MERX131 PS 1983 VG++
Change Searching b/w Angel in my pocket WEA K79156 Company bag 1980 VG+, small WOL
Chi Lites feat Gene Record Have you seen her b/w Super mad (about you baby) 20th Centry Fox 2481 1980 NM
David Joseph You can't hide (your love from me) b/w You can't hide (acapella/Instr) Island 121S101 PS 1983 NM
Debra Laws On my own b/w Long as we're together Elektra 12529 1981 VG++
Eddy Grant Do you feel my love b/w Symphony for Michael, opus 2 Ensign 4512 Company Bag 1980 VG++
Eddy Grant Can't get enough of you b/w Neighbour Neighbour ; Time Warp Ensign ENYT207 Company bag 1981 Ex
Fantastic Four Bring Your own Funk (BYOF) b/w Sexy lady (remix) Atlantic LV14 1978 NM
Galaxy feat Phil Fearon Dancing Tight (dancemix) b/w Dancing Tight (instr) Ensign 12ENY501 Co bag 1983 Ex
Gap Band Burn Rubber on Me (Why you wanna hurt me) b/w Nothin' Comes to Sleepers Mercury MERX52 PS 1980 VG+
Heatwave Gangsters of the groove b/w Someone Like you GTO GT13 285 1980 Ex
Johnny Bristol Love no longer has a hold on me b/w Til I See you again Ariola Hansa AHAD567 1980 VG++
Kid Creole & Coconuts I'm a wonderful thing (baby) b/w Table manners (remix) ZE 12WIP 6756 PS 1982 VG++
Level 42 Love Games (full length ver) b/w Forty two Polydor POSPX234 1981 VG+
Light of the World Time (remix) b/w I'm So happy Mercury MERX64 PS 1980 VG++
Light of the World I shot the sheriff (ext mix) b/w Painted Lady; A new soft song Ensign 4612 Co Bag 1980 VG+ small WOL
Love Unlimited Orchestra Lift your voice and say (united we can in peace live today) b/w My Fantasies Unlimited Gold ULGA 13 1496 1981 VG++
Lynx So This is Romance b/w So This is Romance (Rio mix) Chrysalis 2546 PS 1981 VG-
Machine There but for the grace of God go I b/w Get your body ready RCA PC1456

Co bag
1979 VG++
Melba Moore Love's comin' at ya b/w Let's go back to lovin' ; Love's comin' at ya (instr) EMI America 146 1982 NM
Odessey Inside Out b/w love's Alright RCA 266 1982 Ex
Patrice Rushen Never gonna give you up (won't let you be) b/w Don't blame me Elektra 12494 1980 VG+
Players Association Turn the music up (remixed disco ver) b/w Goin to the disco (remixed disco v Vanguard VSL5011 PS 1979 VG+
Roberta Flack Don't make me wait too long b/w God Don't like ugly Atlantic K11555 1979 NM
Seawind What cha doin' b/w I need your love A&M 7575 1980 Ex
Shakatak Brazilian Dawn b/w You Never Know Polydor POSPX282 1981 VG
Shalamar Dead Giveaway (ext ver) b/w I don't wanna be the last to know Solar E9189T PS 1983 Ex
Sharon Redd Never Give you up b/w Beat the Street (instr & vocal) Prelude 13 2755 1982 Ex
Sugarhill Gang Rappers Delight (long version) b/w Rappers Delight (short version) Sugarhill SHL101 1979 VG+
Yarborough & Peoples Don't stop the music b/w You're My song Mercury MERX53 1980 VG+
Unlimited Touch I hear music in the streets b/w In the middle Prelude PRL D 605 1980 VG+
Fantasy You're too late b/w You're too late (instr) Pavillion 4z8 6408 1980 VG+
Kid Creole & Coconuts Annie I'm not your daddy b/w You had no intention Island 6801 PS 1982 VG+
MFSB Mysteries of the world b/w Manhattan Skyline CBS TSOP 9501 1980 VG++
Kool & the Gang Let's go dancin' b/w Stand up and sing De Lite DEX9 PS 1981 Ex
Third World Dancing on the floor (hooked on love) b/w Who gave you (Jah Rastafari) CBS 1214 1981 VG+
Sharon Redd Can you handle it b/w Leaving you is easier said than done Epic 9572 Cobag 1980 VG++
Shakatak Dark is the night b/w I lose myself Polydor POPSX 595 PS 1983 VG+
The Whispers It's a love thing b/w Girl I need you Solar SOT 16 WOL 1980 VG++
Donald Byrd Love has come around b/w loving you Elektra 12559 1978 VG+
Roberta Flack feat Donny Hathaway Back together again b/w Only heaven can wait Atlantic 11481 1979 VG++

Now the LPs

ARTIST TITLE Label No Year Sleeve Disc Comment
Linx Intuition Chrysalis 1332 1981 No sleev VG
Level 42 World Machine Polydor POLH 25 1985 VG++ Ex two copies!
Earth Wind & Fire Raise CBS 85272 1981 Ex VG
Odyssey hang together RCA 13526 1980 VG++ VG+
Summer Flying Home Touchstone BBT 113 1979 VG++ Ex
Earth Wind & Fire I Am CBS 86084 1979 VG++ VG+
Earth Wind & Fire Best of vol 1 CBS 83284 1978 VG++ VG++

I mean, Shakatak for fucks sake. What a prick. And surely he must have realised that buying anything by Shalimar would open him up to ridicule. Even those bands' mothers couldn't bear to listen to that stuff. I know I couldn't. None of this is play graded, only visually. I just could not bring myself to dirty my stylus with this bollocks.

Boring stuff: - I grade conservatively, particularly when I don't like the records. Don't ask me to split this lot. You buy it, you buy all of it and pay the shipping. I'm not keeping it in my house any longer than strictly neccessary. For the same reason, no returns. I don't want it back. Shipping in UK is £15 because the weight is approx 10kg . I'm willing to ship overseas at cost, but it's likely to be expensive (maybe £45 in europe) and frankly this crap isn't worth the stamps. If you want to collect from Croydon, that's OK but I will look at you with a contemptuous sneer as you stand in my doorway, proving by your purchase that you are tone deaf and tasteless.

Good luck, and God help you for liking this drivel.

Friday 27 May 2011

Wednesday 25 May 2011

Whatever happened to the 25th of May?

Today is the 25th of May. I would never have realised if I had not heard the BBC tell me this morning, "it's the 25th of May". And I thought, whatever happened to that band?



A Liverpool-based politically motivated rock/rap/indie hybrid with clever titles like 1991 album "Lenin & McCarthy" which I still have in my big box of cassettes up in the loft.

The band used to get an occasional airing on Gary Crowley's excellent Sunday afternoon show on GLR, although probably not Fuck The Right To Vote, which I can't play on the radio either, although I can embed it into a blog post.



I'm not sure what happened on the 25th of May that the band named themselves after. It is also Geek Pride Day, but I'd guess probably not that.

Monday 23 May 2011

First week on the blog

I had a total of 70 page views although I don't know how many of those are bots - most of them, I think. These things take time to build up again ... probably need to start posting mp3s again, that put it through the roof last time.

I also put up nearly a year of gig photos - 16 gigs in total, although I need to add all the videos too at some point. I made 7 non-old-gig posts, one a day, I'm regular blogging again, woo hoo!

The Twitter account just has 1 follower!

So thanks if you read this blog last week and you're not a bot. Actually thanks even if you are.

Sunday 22 May 2011

Grimsvotn erupts, again

I was in Iceland a few weeks ago and a bit gutted not to have been there for an eruption. I wasn't in a particular hurry to fly home and back to work anyway!

A definite opportunity to share a few Icelandic songs though ...



How can I forget HAFDIS HULD .. it's her birthday today. (32, ahem). While her solo stuff has been absolutely fantastic, this song - from 2002 - is a forgotten classic. (Not forgotten by me, obviously). And I particularly liked the comment from the guy on Youtube who said "I stopped my porn for this song" - high praise indeed.



This song is fantastic too - not sure how I came to find it. Don't be put off by the Nazi uniforms and imagery in the Þeyr video. It's not even another hilarious episode of Father Ted; it is an anti-fascist song. Þeyr is pronounced Theyr and the song is from 1982. (Oh wait, the video says that!) The drummer ended up in the Sugarcubes.

I saw the Rokk i Reykjavik DVD in a shop for £5 last month - and regret not buying it. Let's face it, nothing in Iceland costs as little as £5.



Saw this live on Icelandic TV a few years ago, great song.



Love the imagery on this video, although I am a bit unnerved at the thought of us all turning into he-shes because of the nucular power.

Tuesday 17 May 2011

Happy birthday Norway!

Norway is 197 years old today. I'm sure it's older than that, but that's what Wikipedia says.

And I thought my knowledge of Monty Python was pretty good but this one passed me by! This was from the first programme in series 4 (the last one), first shown in October 1974.



"Highlights of that broadcast will be discussed later by Lord George-Brown, ex-Foreign Secretary, Mr Sven Olafson, the ex-Norwegian Minister of Finance, Sir Charles Ollendorff, ex-Chairman of the Norwegian Trades Council, Mr Hamish McLavell, the Mayor of Wick, the nearest large town to Norway, Mrs Betty Norday, whose name sounds remarkably like Norway, Mr Brian Waynor, whose name is an anagram of Norway, Mr and Mrs Ford, whose name sounds like fjord, of which there are a lot in Norway, Ron and Christine Boslo ..."

Sunday 15 May 2011

Is this the laziest scam spam ever?


I'll fill in the made up name of the lottery organisation myself then, shall I?

275: British Sea Power, Berwick Village Hall, Sussex


Definitely makes a change from Brixton Academy. I'm at Berwick Village Hall, in the peace and quiet of the Sussex downs, for a matinee performance from British Sea Power. It's the first time (I think) I've been to a gig which started so early, not including festivals, and it was brilliant. Walking out into the bright afternoon sunshine with your ears ringing is much more enjoyable than walking out onto dark rainy London pavements avoiding the drunks, beggars and dog turds.


Having been to the odd BSP gig before, it came with the usual quirkiness but with added bonuses - a venue that held just 150 people, a great set (really enjoying Valhalla Dancehall now) and brilliant acoustics.






As usual the merchandise stall is without equal in the Western world.


Made me laugh. "Valet parking £1". It's just a big field.





View all pics on Picasa:

West Ham manager betting

I've observed this in the past: bookies love the "next manager" markets as it allows them to put out a load of speculation at short odds.  Don't know if the next manager will come from this lot, I know some of these have no chance!

Sunday 15 May 7.00pm (1 hr after Avram has gone): Chris Hughton 4/1, Sam Allardyce 5/1, Paolo di Canio 5/1 (please God no), Martin O'Neill 6/1, Roberto di Matteo 6/1, Alan Curbishley 7/1, Slaven Bilic 7/1, 12/1 bar.  (Including Paul Ince at 50/1, fanciful).

Monday 16 May 9.15am: Talksport reporting that the job has been offered to Steve McClaren and he will accept. He's now 1/3 so a lot of money going on him. Chris Hughton 8/1, Sam Allardyce 10/1, Kevin Keen 14/1, O'Neill, di Matteo and Bilic 16/1.

Monday 16 May 8.00pm: After the press reports that West Ham haven't made a decision yet, Steve McClaren has drifted to 6/1. Chris Hughton has gone back to 3/1 favourite, with Martin O'Neill and ex-hammer Malky Mackay at 8/1, Neil Warnock at 10/1 and Sam Allardyce and Gus Poyet at 12/1.

Tuesday 17 May 11.00am: As A West Ham fan I can only sigh an almighty "thank God" as Steve McClaren goes out to 20/1, having said he doesn't want the job - the feeling is more than mutual. Still, well done to Talksport for that coup. Chris Hughton still favourite at 2/1, Big Sam at 5/1, Alex McLeish now from nowhere to 8/1, Malky Mackay and Neil Warnock 9/1 and Martin O'Neill 12/1.

Tuesday 17 May 4.00pm: A poll on West Ham Till I Die ranks fans' choices as follows: 1. Martin O’Neill 41%; 2. Chris Hughton 12%; 3. Slaven Bilic 9%; 4. Paolo Di Canio 6%; 5. Alan Curbishley 6%. The managers marked "unacceptable" by West Ham fans were: 1. Neil Warnock 59%; 2. Sam Allardyce 55%; 3. Steve McLaren 52%; 4. Alex McLeish 34%; 5. Claudio Ranieri 35%; 6. Malky Mackay 32%; 7. Dave Jones 30%. Think there might be some rounding errors with that last one, or people could choose more than one as it doesn't add up to 100%!

Wednesday 18 May 8.00am: Not a lot of change, Chris Hughton still favourite at 5/4 now, Big Sam 6/1 but Dave Jones is now 8/1 along with Malky Mackay and Neil Warnock 9/1. Punters obviously looking at the above list of people that West Ham fans don't want.

Thursday 19 May 9.00am: Not much has changed now. Chris Hughton 13/8, Warnock 7/1, Big Sam and Alex McLeish 8/1, Martin O'Neill 9/1, Paul Lambert at 10/1 although you can't imagine why he'd want to leave Norwich after two successive promotions.

Thursday 19 May 3.00pm: Jesus, what's happened now? Neil Warnock is suddenly 7/4 favourite. Chris Hughton a valueless 2/1, Paul Lambert 10/1 and the usual suspects after that.

Saturday 21 May 10.00am: Seems to have settled down, with Chris Hughton 15/8, Neil Warnock 9/2 and Alex McLeish 7/1. Someone's put some money on Kevin Keegan as he's down to 20/1 - I would LOVE IT!

Sunday 22 May 2011 11.00am: Something's happened as Chris Hughton is now odds-on at 1/2, Alex McLeish 5/1 and Neil Warnock thankfully drifting to 10/1. McLeish and Warnock already have jobs of course - like Carlo Ancelotti, who is now at 16/1 after telling Sky this morning he wouldn't mind managing West Ham if he finds himself looking for a job! Surely not ...

Monday 23 May 11.00am: Hughton still favourite at 6/4, Alex McLeish now 3/1 after Birmingham's relegation yesterday. Big Sam 7/1 and Ancelotti as low as 8/1. Who do we really want as manager, another guy who got his team relegated or a Chelsea manager who won 6% fewer games than Avram Grant? I suppose Ancelotti did win the double in 2009/10 which redeems him a little bit. Plus of course the fact that it just ain't going to happen ... The Star today is saying that McLeish is the board's favourite, oh wunderbar.

Monday 23 May 2.30pm: A lot of money has gone on Sam Allardyce this morning and he's now 2/1 joint favourite with Chris Hughton.

Monday 23 May 6.30pm: Another favourite for the job. Dave Jones hasn't left Cardiff yet but he's suddenly gone to 4/7 favourite. Chris Hughton at 5/1 now, Sam Allardyce at 6/1 and Alex McLeish at 14/1 despite Birmingham's board saying he is confirmed for another season there.

For the first time there are some odds too for the Championship winner next season, although a bit pointless since neither Swansea nor Reading are quoted and one of them will be there in August. West Ham and Leicester are joint 7/1 favourites.

Tuesday 24 May 12.30pm: Nothing much changed, Dave Jones still favourite but now 6/5, Hughton 4/1, Allardyce 5/1, McLeish 10/1 and O'Neill 14/1. After that everyone is at least 25/1 including some names that haven't been floating around until now, including Ian Holloway, Steve Coppell and Walter Smith. Really?

Wednesday 25 May 3.30pm: JESUS, Sam Allardyce is now 2/1 favourite, Dave Jones drifting to 3/1. There are a lot of reports in the papers today that the board has spoken to Jones, but David Gold has just denied this. Chris Hughton is no longer one of the top two favourites and is now 4/1, Martin O'Neill 6/1 and Alan Curbishley 10/1.

Thursday 26 May 9.00am: Little bits of movement, only four serious contenders at the moment. Martin O'Neill, who has sorted out his legal problems with Aston Villa and is now "looking for a Premier League job" is 10/3 favourite (sssh, no one tell him), Allardyce 7/2, Jones 4/1 and Hughton drifting further to 11/2. Tony Carr now as low as 25/1.

Friday 27 May 6.00am: A lot of rumours last night that Billy Davies was leaving Nottingham Forest and coming to Upton Park, something that seemed to upset both sets of fans. From nowhere he is now third favourite at 4/1. Allardyce at 3/1 and O'Neill at 7/2 with Jones and Hughton at 6/1 and Malky Mackay at 8/1. Doesn't look like anyone really has a clue at this stage.

Friday 27 May 4.00pm: A clear favourite in Sam Allardyce now, 1/3. Rumours are that O'Neill was offered the job and rejected it, but Big Sam is talking terms. Hughton second favourite at 8/1 so it shows what the bookies think. Jones at 9/1, O'Neill and Davies at 10/1.

Friday 27 May 4.30pm: Allardyce now 1/12. Announcement rumoured at 6pm.

Sunday 29 May: No announcement of course. All gone very quiet. Can't put a bet on any more so it looks like it's going to happen. 10 weeks until the start of the football season, what am I going to write about now?

Tuesday 31 May: NOW they tell us. BFS's Claret and Blue Army!