more songs of the year

'Paris Is Burning', Ladyhawke
'Kids', MGMT

As a Smiths 'devotee', should I buy the 2cd version of the forthcoming compilation? Decisions, decisions. "Reissue. Repackage. Repackage. Re-evaluate the songs. Double-pack and a photograph. Extra track and a tacky badge." I wonder if Morrissey realised just how ironic those words would become years later in the light of the extensive repackaging of his solo back catalogue and that of The Smiths.

Where It's At

Favourite singles of 2008 , to date
Black Kids, 'I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You' (check it out: it'll make you smile; great video too)
Goldfrapp, 'A & E'
Lightspeed Champion, 'Tell Me What It's Worth'
REM, 'Supernatural Superserious' (arguably, too little-too late, but it reminds me why REM's music touched so much all those years ago)

I own records by:
Brett Anderson
Antony and The Johnsons
Badly Drawn Boy
Belle & Sebastian
Ben & Jerry
Black Kids
Frank Black
David Bowie
British Sea Power
Kate Bush
Bernard Butler
CSS
Camera Obscura
Captain Beefheart
Cherry Ghost
Cocteau Twins
Leonard Cohen
The Cure
Depeche Mode
Desert Sessions
Dexy's Midnight Runners
Nick Drake
Electrelane
Brian Eno
Franz Ferdinand
Futureheads
Future Pilot AKA
Husker Du
Serge Gainsbourg
Beth Gibbons & Rustin' Man
Grandaddy
Johnny Boy
Keane
Lightspeed Champion
Lloyd Cole and The Commotions
McAlmont & Butler
Natalie Merchant
Joni Mitchell
Morrissey
Bob Mould
Nada Surf
P J Harvey (arguably, a group, not a solo artist!)
Pet Shop Boys
Peaches
Pixies
Placebo
Prince
Pulp
Radiohead
REM
Ride
Patti Smith
The Smiths
Sonic Youth
Suede
Super Furry Animals
The Tears
Television
10,000 Maniacs
Ultrasound
Suzanne Vega

2007

Yes, yes, I know it's been a while since I last wrote anything on here. Blame workload! Or maybe that's just an excuse? Let me get the following stuff down before I forget it all:

Singles of the year (in alphabetical order)
'Love Is Dead', Brett Anderson
'No Cars Go', Arcade Fire
'Thursday', Asobi Seksu
'The Bomb', New Young Pony Club (and I really love the Tiga remix of 'Ice Cream')
'Gravity's Rainbow', Klaxons
'Don't Lose Yourself', Laura Veirs

Another posting to follow in quick succession?

Work beckons...

Summer in review

doing
home improvements
broadband installation at home
purchasing a digital camera
visiting Manchester (2 days)
visiting Paris (6 days)
running

watching
films: 'Waitress' (v. good); Eagle vs Shark (not so good)
theatre: 'Saint Joan' (interesting, thought-provoking, startlingly contemporary; poor acting from the younger cast members)

reading
'South Of The River', Blake Morrison (technically great; characters objectionable);
'JPod', Douglas Coupland (one of his best, intelligent, laugh-out-loud funny, immensely enjoyable, highly recommended); 'Hey Nostradamus', Douglas Coupland (intelligent, moving, highly recommended)

listening
song of the summer: 'Tears Dry On Their Own', Amy Winehouse ('He walks away/The sun goes down'- so simple yet so emotionally devastating; 6 small words that convey enormous loss simply, starkly, uneqivocally);
various tracks by Keane as posted on Hype Machine

catch-up 2

Manchester
Just over a week ago, I visited Manchester and spent a couple of days there. I've been visiting the city every 3 or 4 years since 1994. The changes that have taken place there are striking, and all for the better (? But what do I know? It's not as if I live there!). It's always a pleasure to return, especially now that the train journey is quicker and more efficient (and to think that in the past I would attempt these visits as a day trip!). It's a vibrant and exciting place, and I could easily spend more time there. This time around, more than ever before, I was transported back to my early teens: devouring the music press, listening to The Smiths, worshipping their music, savouring every little reference on the sleeves and run-out grooves of their records, feeding insatiably on the interviews. I'm impressed by the pride Manchester has in its local heroes, especially the musical ones: you are reminded of it constantly (in the museums and in the record shops... and it doesn't come across as tacky or naff); Morrissey is now a colossus of popular culture, on the surface no longer an outsider- how different is that to way he was received and perceived (by those outside of the cognoscenti) during his 80s heyday?

By brilliant accident, I came across an exhibition celebrating the Hacienda (in the recently opened URBIS space/museum/gallery). As part of that, there was some fantastic footage from The Tube ('legendary' 80s music programme, international readers). I was particularly taken with the clips of Madonna dancing and miming to 'Holiday' and 'Burning Up' back in '83/'84 (classic, and familiar to fans). It's compelling viewing, in all of its charming naivety (the between song gap reminded me so much of school kids preparing for a performance in assembly). She's accompanied by two dancers, one of whom is her brother (I'm sure Madonna watchers can tell me what he's doing these days, but whatever happened to the woman dancer, Erika Belle?). For the record, 'disco Madonna' is by far my favourite Madonna mode (of which there are several).

I'm still in Paris, still enjoying the experience (fingers crossed that it stays that way).

catch-up

Paris
I realise that it has been a while since I last posted on here. There is much to fill you in on, not least the fact that I am writing this from Paris (France!). Yes, I did make it over here in the end, and, as I write this, I am very pleased that I went through with my decision to come here. I love this city: it is beautiful and inspiring; its understated beauty is inspiring. This is my fourth visit, but my second in the last three years, and that means that I have the confidence to venture off the well-worn tourist path (relatively speaking) and explore the various neighbourhoods, and that is what I am managing to do, walking around near-suburban districts, seeing people go about their daily business, and often to a backdrop of gorgeous aromas wafting from countless boulangeries.

I'm staying in a hotel off the Champs Elysees; I really cannot do gritty and scuzzy, but I think that I may have shot myself in the foot because the place is a bit too peripheral... not by Metro, but it is a trek getting back from the centre of town if you choose to walk eveywhere which is what, increasingly, I like to do when I'm here. I love the walk that starts at the Rue de Rivoli and leads all the way up to Place de La Bastille: the ever-changing nature of this seemingly endless thoroughfare akin to four seasons in one day. I still cannot comprehend the traffic lights: even when the green man lights up, cars insist on driving past! What's that all about? This time around, the proliferation of multi-national chain stores (am I being tautologous?) has hit me: there are so many branches of GAP, Zara, H&M, and Starbucks here. I have even spotted a branch of C&A; it would seem that the UK's loss is not France's gain!

I'm struggling with this keyboard: small, seemingly imperceptible changes, have resulted in a very frustrating blogging experience! Until next time...

what a terrible mess (sort of)

After a couple of great days in Manchester (more about that at a later date, I hope), I spent Sunday cursing myself for my holiday-booking ineptitude (a few days earlier, I had to shelve a big trip to substantially distant climes); Paris is my fallback, and I can't even get that right! After much to-ing and fro-ing, I have booked the Eurostar ticket, and now I'm wrestling with the hotel arrangements...I'm that close to packing it all in again, even if it does mean losing the less-than-100 pounds that I spent on my ticket. I can't understand why I'm so contrary.

The 'week-end in review' post will have to wait....
...but before I go: 'Gogol Bordello are purely and simply a novelty act'. Discuss.