Posted in Music, Christmas at Sat 23 Dec 2006 by Stavros
Here it is pop-pickers, as 2006 comes racing to the end faster than an Alonso with a Schumacher up his arse (figuratively speaking), here’s my rundown of my favourite albums of this year. There’s a tune available off each if you’re that interested you big bunch of lovely lovely readers.
10. M. Ward - Post-War
Beautiful voice, expertly presented. It never stumbles over it’s woven mix of folk, blues and rock.
[MP3] To Go Home
9. TV On The Radio - Return To Cookie Mountain
A simply massive massive sound. Pretty daunting on early listens, but it seems to unravel itself in it’s own time. An achievement.
[MP3] Wolf Like Me
8. Cold War Kids - Robbers & Cowards
A very promising rock n roll debut. These boys are one to watch for 2007.
[MP3] Hospital Beds
7. The Thermals - The Body, The Blood, The Machine
Every end-of-year list needs an angry punk concept album about a right-wing Christian dystopia.
[MP3] Here’s Your Future
6. Mogwai - Mr. Beast
I reckon it’s the post-rockers most complete album. Glorious. For best results play very loud.
[MP3] Friend Of The Night
5. Howling Bells - Howling Bells
This is such a warm album, a big sound and wow, the singer’s voice. This record deserves to sell millions.
[MP3] Setting Sun
4. Figurines - Skeleton
A ridiculously poppy album where the hooks and choruses just keep coming. I’m not too sure about the competition but surely this is the best band in Denmark.
[MP3] The Wonder
3. Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not
It already feels like it’s always been out there. A bona-fide modern classic with scalpel sharp lyrics. But only my second favourite album from a Sheffield band this year. One of the big questions of 2007 is “where will they go from here?”.
[MP3] Mardy Bum
2. The Long Blondes - Someone To Drive You Home
Formerly the worst-kept secret in UK music, finally the album is delivered and it doesn’t disappoint. Pulp-esque lyrical observations with a smart sense of humour.
[MP3] Giddy Stratospheres
1. The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
A major-label debut with two 11 minutes songs on? Their sound just gets more and more complex, and they are doing things that other bands can just dream about. The story-telling is just as fine as ever, but no sea-shanties this time.
[MP3] Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)
Honourable mentions to Camera Obscura, Destroyer, Islands, Band of Horses, Pants Yell!, Beirut, Larrikin Love, Sunset Rubdown, Mystery Jets, Tapes ‘n Tapes, Be Your Own Pet, Oh No! Oh My!, Belle & Sebastian, The Flaming Lips and Jarvis Cocker. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed 2006 for music, I hope that 2007 is even better, hopefully with a couple more British bands on the list this time next year.
Have a fucking ace Christmas won’t you all.
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Posted in Politics, Christmas, Lesser sports, Comedy at Thu 14 Dec 2006 by Stavros
Went to see the comedian Mark Thomas last night in Edgbaston (did someone say “road trip”?) with Messrs Fulla, Walt and the Merk. It was very good, and quite thought provoking too. I had feared he might come over a bit preachy, but he was very good, even if I was familiar with some of the content through his Guardian writings. I wanted to come out of the gig and start protesting at the injustice of everything like this or this or maybe this. Instead I ended up at Tescos buying a ham and pickle sandwich.
I was concerned I might struggle though the show because I pretty much overdid it at the work’s Christmas ten-pin bowling do the night previous. I was at least as twice as drunk as everyone else there, which is always worrying. I as good as gave up trying to knock the pins over, cos I was crap at that. Instead I was trying to bowl as quick as I could because we’d got a speedometer on our lane. Technology eh, in’t it amazing. Where will it end? Hopefully before killer robo-clowns with ray-gun red noses and a bucket full of metallic death ants.
* ask Walt.
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Posted in Beer, Work, Christmas, Philosophy, Lesser sports at Mon 11 Dec 2006 by Stavros
Rewarding the Privileged: For some reason this makes my blood boil. I voted for Phil “the Power”. Hasta la revolución! They’re the first against the wall.
I’ve just been reading this on the beeb, apparently five and a half million Brits live abroad. Australia and Spain are the most popular choices, with some suburbs of Melbourne and the Costas turning into Swindon-on-Sea. Where would I emigrate too? Hmmm, good question. Probably Ireland. I like the weather (honest) and the similar way of life. Then again I supposed, if forced, I could get used to drinking espressos in a beautiful Roman piazza in the Autumn sunshine. It wouldn’t happen though. I’ve been trying to move just a hundred miles away for the last 5 years, so I could forget about the other side of the continent. I admire those that do though. Just why you’d choose to surround yourself with Aussies at a time like this is a mystery to me. And a mystery to messrs Harmison and Flintoff probably.
I don’t know whether it’s better working for a big company or a small. To an extant I can work as I like for a big company, if I want to slack I can hide amongst the numbers, if I want to do overtime they can afford to pay it. Mostly I think a bigger company is more for me. However, office conferences. Arrrrggghhhh. Our office, Birmingham office and Milton Keynes office. A grey Brummy Wednesday morning. Corporate office drones abound. An invasion of accountants and auditors. Oh Lord where are you now? An MD who loves the sound of his voice, fulfilling all his stand-up comic dreams (minus the comedy obviously). A dull pain. Even our coach went AWOL for half an hour after the nightmare was over. 30 minutes soaking up the acid rain wandering how it’d come to this. There’d better be a pay rise involved.
The Christmas shopping’s going well, I don’t buy much. As long as I can steer clear of the shopping centre I’m pleased. Ahh, God bless the internet. A few things for our kid, few things for me ol’ ma, and shitloads of booze for me. I’ve got 24 cans of Brains SA on the way, and the cocktail bar needs restocking (mojitos all round).
So, how’s the housebling on your estate? We’ve got some beauties by us. Npower must be loving it. Albeit some have had a head start on others, we’ve had some opposite us since long before Hallowe’en. Yep, while we were still in British Summer Time. I had to decorate the office too last week. That’s even worse than decorating your home, as all you have are people’s cast offs. Tatty tinsel with a decade’s worth of sellotape, those weird hanging things that look like a weird mirrorball (yeah cos the main man JC was born in a disco wasn’t he?!). “Ah the true meaning of Christmas“.
Oh I love people who get angry about Christmas, you know the types, the ones harking back to a mythical Dickensian yuletide that never fucking existed. “The true meaning of Christmas“, I mean wtf does that mean anyway. It’s a pagan festival. The bible bashers nicked it and adapted it to keep the unwashed happy. The 25th of December was the date the Romans celebrated the winter solstice. They did it with all of the festivals. Why else would you have a tree and mistletoe in your front room, unless it was (a) Christmas, or (b) the local Druid was popping round for a cuppa and that DVD of The Wicker Man you promised to lend him. The only thing I don’t really like about Christmas is the way some want it to start in October or November. The ads on the telly start way too early. But it’s nowt new, we know these lot to be wankers, they’ll be advertising Easter eggs on New Year’s Day. And new settees on bank holidays.
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