I came here for a party and what do I get? Nothing

new blog

2010-05-21T15:01:00.001+01:00

http://revolutioninyourhead.blogspot.com/

New discovery - Flying Lotus

2008-09-01T14:34:00.002+01:00

Flying Lotus aka 'Steven Ellison' is a hip-hop music producer, disc jockey, and laptop musician from Winnetka, California.

He has already released one album, 1983, in 2006 to much acclaim and has returned with his second album titled, Los Angeles, this year. It features lush soundscapes built around texture. The addition of static throughout the album is an interesting choice, sometimes filling over some of the empty space. It often moves at a leisurely pace, with the occasional acceleration.

A true grower, and one of the better albums of recent months.

now for something a little different

2008-04-28T11:56:00.000+01:00

If we need money to live, doesn’t that make ‘interest’, that someone may lend you money but you must return more, a type of slavery?

I want a life where our needs can be fulfilled, a desire for excellence, a world not owned, or survived in, but lived. Life instead has become a business, a depressing one where purpose and art is sacrificed for selfish meaningless needs.

The future could be with what is called Frei Geld “free-money. In which money depreciates in value as it ages. This could now be done electronically. In the past it spurred hoarders of money to spend it quickly, pay their taxes quickly and find other reasons apart from money to work. Furthermore, money becomes a medium of exchange, meaning that your neighbour’s wealth could make others wealthier. This then makes us question the notion of “value”.

The main currency system might very well collapse, it is not impossible. A revolution may well be ahead.

Vampire Weekend

2008-01-31T12:36:00.000Z

the band Vampire Weekend released their self titled debut this week. maybe the best debut since the Strokes Is this It?

radio 1 takeover

2008-01-18T12:14:00.000Z

Ed and Thom from Radiohead took over Radio 1 last night from 7 - 9pm and it was, as to be expected, a great listen. The inclusion of Burial's 'Archangel' was an exceptional choice, a personal favourite, and one that will now get more attention. I have made some fantastic new discoveries. Listen to it over at the Radio 1 website now.

No Country For Old Men

2008-01-13T18:30:00.000Z

It's certainly rare in cinema to see a film and instantly express such admiration and love after only one viewing. Some people would tell you that most of the great films tend to take a few viewings to really appreaciate, and to obviously tell if it holds up to repeat viewings. However, yesterday i saw No Country for old Men in an advance screening, the new film by the Coen Brothers and it blew that perception away. I know for a fact that it will possibly only improve on repeat viewings, that what i had seen was a true masterpeiece. The Coen Brothers managed to make a film closer to their debut, Blood Simple, but also carve a completely refreshing and skillful film that works on so many different levels. Anyone who watches it and thinks it's simply a film about violence is looking at it only superficialy. It's a poetic, intricatly layered film that demands to be seen again. If only for the one of the best endings i've seen in a film for years.

9.3/10

Found?

2007-12-18T14:00:00.000Z

I'm beat!

2007-12-13T17:56:00.000Z

"At lilac evening I walked with every muscle aching among the lights of 27th and Welton ... in Denver ... feeling that the best ... (my) world had offered (me) was not enough ecstasy ... not enough life, kicks, darkness, music, not enough night." - Jack Kerouac -

I've just finished reading On the Road by Jack Kerouac, and i'm filled with a burning desire to travel and see the world. The same feeling so many people were filled with after reading the book back in the 50s when it was originaly published. The books madness is in its writing, the driving force is the outrageous Dean Moriarty (Neal Cassady). It makes you feel alive, your senses wider then ever before, colours brighter. It could possibly be the best book i've ever read and there is so much more to learn from the 'beat generation'. This is my first step into a larger world.

christmas

2007-12-12T14:05:00.000Z

Getting in the christmas spirit, link below will take you to a collection of the worst christmas songs. Enjoy!

musical fruitcake

I'm in Rainbows

2007-12-07T19:20:00.000Z

The biggest music release of the year for me had to be Radiohead’s 7th LP, titled In Rainbows. It had minds exploding with excitement. This was due to the fact it was up to the customer to choose how much they wanted to pay for it, and the fact it was the return of one of the greatest experimental band of all time! All this anticipation was even before anyone heard a second of the album, even though much of the songs had already been performed live and was in circulation on the web.

Still, it was an exciting announcement when Johnny Greenwood wrote that In Rainbows would be out in 10 days. It was a “what the fuck?” moment. A truly ecstatic moment for music fans and the absence of information made it all the more exciting. It wasn’t a disappointment either. The record was warm, human, and more accessible then anything they have ever released. A new stage for the band it seemed.

I went with getting the discbox, the alternative to getting it just on download, the discbox was £40 and had vinyls, artwork, and 2 CDs. This was In rainbows in CD format but with a bonus disc of previously unheard B-sides. The band was most definitely making a statement in our times. Which is better they were asking, having the real artefact in your hands or just a download on the internet? What’s music worth nowadays?

The B-sides aren’t a disappointment either. While Go Slowly seems too much like a mellow There There that doesn’t really go anywhere, Down is the New Up and Last Flowers are up there with the best songs they have ever done. Then there is Bangers & Mash which is a crazy cocaine junky rocker. A real treat and completely unexpected.

Where are they going to go from here? Who knows!?

I have a ticket to see the band live in London June 25th and I can’t wait.

The Beatles top10

2007-06-30T16:26:00.000+01:00

Top 10 Beatles tunes

To pick your favourite Beatles tunes is a difficult one because of how huge their catalogue is and how many great songs they made in the 7 years that they released material as a performing group. They weren’t without their disappointing tunes though, Harrison’s nasty song, Piggies, McCartney’s Maxwell’s Silver Hammer and the two Honey Pies are rubbish and could easily have been scrapped for something much better especially since the amount of tunes they wrote and were either released as B-sides or were used later for their early solo albums.

As most people would agree the Beatles were not a singles band, like I feel the Rolling Stones are, in fact most of my favourite songs are not singles. The Beatles were an album band and the material they released between1965-1968 was the most inventive and consistently brilliant a band has ever accomplished. Much of the tunes on the albums were on par with their best singles, if better. So this list I compiled is my favourite Beatles tracks, not necessarily their most technically outstanding tracks (Tomorrow Never Knows, despite how great it is does not appear on this list) but the ones that stick out for me and resonate with me. Enjoy.

Rain

CD: "Past Masters", Volume 2, Track 4
Recorded: 14th April 1966, Abbey Road 3; 16th April 1966, Abbey Road 2
UK-release: 10th June 1966 (Double-A Single / "Paperback Writer")

How many bands can you claim have B-sides that can be put alongside their best? Not many, and of course the Beatles are an exception. What I love most about this track is the surreal quality, the obvious LSD influence that was going on around the time of the tracks recording. This is actually created by both the vocals and instrumentals having different speed changes between original recording and the mixdown for mastering. The fantastic vocals from Lennon are not just the highlight but the McCartney/Starr rhythm section is awesome. Just listen to that bass!

Yer Blues

CD: "White Album", Disc 2, Track 2
Recorded: 13th, 14th August 1968, Abbey Road 2; 20th August 1968, Abbey Road 3
UK-release: 22nd November 1968 (LP "White Album")

This song is seen as a parody of the British blues music with lyrics such as:
‘The eagle picks my eye/The worm he licks my bones/I feel so suicidal/Just like Dylan's Mr. Jones.’ Not to be taken seriously I hope, especially when you know that it is in fact a John Lennon song with his dry sense of humor. It’s a song that somehow fits into the White album though couldn’t possibly anywhere else in the Beatles canon. I love the intensity of it, something which became more apparent in Lennon’s songs in the later Beatles years.

I’m So Tired

CD: "White Album", Disc 1, Track 10
Recorded: 8th October 1968, Abbey Road 2
UK-release: 22nd November 1968 (LP "White Album")

Lennon sure does love his sleep. He not only wrote this song for the White Album about being sleep deprived but also the song I’m Only Sleeping for the 1966 record Revolver. Not only that, he did the famous protest with Yoko Ono in bed, and even recorded Give Peace a Chance, his first solo single, in bed. This is one of my favourite Lennon songs, it’s moody, paced perfectly and has some of Lennon’s best vocals as he goes from being weary to enthusiastic. It’s this which is key to the effect of the song and what makes it so appealing.

I've Just Seen a Face

CD: "Help!” Track 12
Recorded: 14th June 1965, Abbey Road 2
UK-release: 6th August 1965 (LP "Help!")

This song is a great example of what the early Beatles were like, before the dope driven Rubber Soul LP or the LSD mind expansion of Revolver and Sgt Pepper with their limitless inventiveness and tricks. This song is fast paced, bursting with energy and I can’t help but feel enthusiastic after listening to it. Surely perfect Macca ‘pop’?

Helter Skelter

CD: "White Album", Disc 2, Track 6
Recorded: 18th July, 9th, 10th September 1968, Abbey Road 2
UK-release: 22nd November 1968 (LP "White Album")

This is McCartney’s experiment with the Beatles attempting heavy rock supposedly because they wanted to compete with the music scene at the time where the Who and Led Zeppelin were creating the heaviest music ever heard. Many think this song is actually a failure and that it drags on too long but I completely disagree. In recent times the song has grown on me so much so it’s now one of my favorites on the White Album. It might not be as successful as Led Zeppelin at taking heavy music into new places but it’s by far one of the grooviest Beatles songs; it’s also rather sinister, with an undercurrent of obsession and possible violence. Or it could all be a metaphor for sex. One other reason for loving this song, it has Ringo shouting ‘I got blisters on my fingers’ at the end which is always funny.

Something

CD: "Abbey Road", Track 2
Recorded: 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 30th, 31st July, 15 August 1969, Abbey Road 2
UK-release: 26th September 1969 (LP "Abbey Road")

Something is one of my favorite George Harrison songs, I usually find his music to be rather pretentious but this one really did blow me away and still has its hold on me whenever I listen to it. It’s unabashedly romantic yet the love seems destined not to last. The fact that the protagonist is ignited just by her moving is possibly one of the most passionate Beatles imageries. I think it’s the bridge that always seems to catch me off guard though, and one of the many reasons why I love this song.

I Want You (She’s so Heavy)

CD: "Abbey Road", Track 6
Recorded: 22nd February 1969, Trident Studios; 18th, 20th April 1969, 8th 11th August 1969, Abbey Road 2/3
UK-release: 26th September 1969 (LP "Abbey Road")

7 minutes and 47seconds of intense experimentation from John that goes beyond anything the Beatles had done up to that point but has many of their later career trademarks. For one, it’s another Lennon song about a protagonist’s state of mind. Secondly it’s an experiment in form, something the Beatles were interested in immensely. The song ventures into the depths of love and obsession and possibly insanity. The abrupt ending is genius, leaving the listener cut off and disorientated from the music. It’s long but always leaves a great impression on me.

Happiness is a warm gun

CD: "White Album", Disc 1, Track 8
Recorded: 23rd-25th September 1968, Abbey Road 2
UK-release: 22nd November 1968 (LP "White Album")

This is a song I come back to often, especially since it’s on the White album which is my favorite of their albums and probably my favorite of all time. I love the vocals in this song as they change along with the varied styles and meters which never cease to be exciting. Also those surreal lyrics are just so John circa 1968.

It’s all too much

CD: "Yellow Submarine Songtrack", Track 15
Recorded: 25th, 26th May, 2nd June 1967, De Lane Studios, Kingsway
UK-release: 17th January 1969 (LP "Yellow Submarine")

One of the only Beatles songs that sound like it could have been released recently from the opening guitar sound to the rock beat, the droning harmonies, and the spiritual Harrison lyrics. It’s like drug euphoria, full of surreal sounds and imagery. Though it’s also the only song on this list I’m not sure belongs here. Sometimes the song really enthralls me while other times I’m not in the mood for it, a bit like Sgt Pepper I suppose which they recorded the same year.

‘All the world is birthday cake/
So take a piece but not too much.’

The Ballad of John and Yoko

CD: "Past Masters", Volume 2, Track 11
Recorded: 14th April 1969, Abbey Road 3
UK-release: 30th May 1969 (A Single / "Old Brown Shoe")

I think this is a much overlooked single, maybe because it’s about John and Yoko? After all she’s not the most popular woman in the Beatles legacy. Yoko was a great inspiration for John, especially since it created this enjoyable tack which basically bounces along at such a fast pace no wonder it doesn’t get as much attention as it deserves. Fact: It was only John and Macca on this track.

Phew that was tiring.

Possible contenders:

For No One-Revolver
Drive my Car- Rubber Soul
All I’ve got to Do- With the Beatles
I Should have Known Better- A Hard Day’s Night
I Don’t Want to Spoil the Party- Beatles for Sale

Albums of 2006

2006-12-22T17:11:00.000Z

My blogs a year old today…ok, ok its not really that big of a thing but its lovely that my blog is still around, at least for me. It’s like a mangy old dog really.

Anyway….

here is my favourite albums of the year though I didn’t get enough time to write as much as I had hoped to do. This follows my previous post which was on films.

1. The Strokes- First Impressions of Earth

I am a huge Strokes fan I admit and so it was an obvious choice really.

This album had a lot to live up to since the Strokes debut, Is this it changed my outlook on music, and is one of my favourite, if not, favourite albums of all time. Room on Fire is an underappreciated album and one that is easily up there with the first.

With their third album the band expanded their sound palette with songs like Juicebox and Ask Me Anything while keeping to their roots with You Only Live Once and the ridiculously catchy Razorblade. But none of the songs on First Impressions would fit on either of the first two records which is when you start to notice how different this album is.

However it is far from perfect. In fact it is their weakest album so far despite how I felt when it was first released. It is 20 minutes too long with a few filler songs that really should have been B-sides.

Those criticisms fade away though with the first half of the album in which it shows that the Strokes still have the passion, the grittiness, the charm and the damn right catchy ness that they have always had and as long as they keep that they will always be one of my favourite bands of the 21st century.

2. Thom Yorke- The Eraser

The Eraser is, as expected from the genius that is Thom Yorke of Radiohead, a moody affair. It’s a haunting record and has Thom at his most emotional bare and it lingers in your mind much after listening to it which is a sign of a great record.

The record feels like it the beginning of the end with a cloud of undeniable sense of doom that runs throughout the tracks like blood in the veins. Track 3- The Clock even has the lyrics, ‘Time is running out for us’. This is a sure sign of the end of the world, surely? Brought on by the musicians awareness of global warming maybe?

The tracks are much like Radiohead’s recent output; Jazz flavoured at times, electronica with guitars but with great melody and personality with depth that a lot of music today lacks.

Thom Yorke is still the anti-hero, a seemingly tortured soul despite being in one of the greatest bands of all time. By the end of the Eraser it does make you wonder if Thom will one day leave electronica behind and start in a new direction. Despite how great this album is, I can’t help but wonder what is the future for Radiohead?

3. Cat Power- The Greatest

This album was a pleasant surprise; I mean I hadn’t heard anything by Chan Marshall before until her appearance on Jools Holland earlier this year. So this album kind of blew me away. It was her voice, that captivating, heartbreaking voice.

There is warmth to this album and it is possibly the key to why I have liked this album so much. It’s created mostly by the brilliant Memphis session guys who must be credited alongside Chan for their excellent contribution on the making of this album.

The imagery is strong with this album, of smokey bars and a broken down girl, loneliness but with hope. It’s that swelling emotion, that voice, that atmosphere, that love and that hate. That’s what makes this album so special; most albums this year haven’t come close.

4. Belle and Sebastian- the Life Pursuit

5. The Flaming Lips- At War with the Mystics

BEST OF 2006 PART 1: FILMS

2006-12-17T16:15:00.001Z

Films of 2006:

1. UNITED 93- Flawless performances, documentary style directing with suffocating tension makes Paul Greengrass’s film about the hijacking of flight 93 on 9/11 into a masterpiece of cinema. United 93 is a thought-provoking film that features one of the most inspiring iconic moments of heroism.

2. BRICK- Made on a budget of under USD 500,000, Brick successfuly merges high school students with a hardboiled detective narrative. The risk pays off and while the dialogue is at times confusing, the acting and production is fantastic. This demands to be re-watched again and again. A true indie film that will be a cult classic in years to come.

3. THE DEPARTED- The film is now Martin Scorsese’s most successful film at the box office and it deserves to be. While it never reaches the heights of his earlier films such as Taxi Driver and Raging Bull it is easily his best film since Goodfellas. This is possibly because Scorsese has been delving into period dramas of late while the Departed is back to his roots. It features some great acting from the evolving DiCaprio who is growing as a fine actor in every film he is in, but also boasts a return of Jack Nicholson as an evil mob boss. Also Mark Wahlberg is great in this, honest.

4. BORAT- Overrated? Controversial? Don’t believe the former. This is one of the funniest films of recent memory and exposes to the world the genius of Sacha Baron Cohen. It also has naked wrestling, one of the best comedy moments of all time.

5. PAN’S LABYRINTH- I’m going to guess that you missed Guillermo del Toro’s fantasy film, right? If you did then you missed out on one of the most darkly beautiful and enchanting films ever made. Del Toro shows great human empathy as well as visual flair.

the Beatles 'LOVE' or Shut up everyone is bored of the myth surrounding them

2006-12-01T15:27:00.000Z

I finaly got my hands on the Beatles 'new' album, Love, which sees the Beatles catalogue being reworked by Sir George Martin and his son Giles. It's also the soundtrack to the Cirque du Soleil/Beatles production.

I liked the album which is not really a surprise but i wasn't expecting too as i didn't see the point of it, it's unnecessary. But despite that, it still makes for a great listen. They have made a puzzle for beatle fans. For example, the album begins with the sound of birds from Across the Universe which then proceeds into the harmonies of Because. This is then followed by the guitar stum of A Hard Day's Night which goes straight into The End which seamlessly leads into Get Back. It's like a trip through the Beatles history. Thats just the first two tracks of 26!

I love the more stripped down version of While my guitar gently weeps and the Sgt Pepper tracks which are either more psychedlic or less so, showing the tracks as they could have been without all the production trickery.

Also this is the best the Beatles have ever sounded on CD. The Beatles really need remastering....NOW!

I need more money so i can actualy fly to Las Vegas and watch the damn show!!!

Favourite films- SERGIO LEONE'S 'ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST'

2006-10-02T13:18:00.000+01:00

Directed by Sergio Leone
Produced by Bino Cicogna
Written by Dario Argento, Bernardo Bertolucci and Sergio Leone (Story)
Sergio Donati and Sergio Leone (Screenplay)
Starring Charles Bronson
Claudia Cardinale
Henry Fonda
Jason Robards
Distributed by Paramount
Release date(s) 1968
Running time 165 min
Language English

Once upon a time in the west embodies everything that the west was, successfully merging un-stereotypical archetypes and originality to a dying genre. It is Sergio Leone’s last western and was supposedly never intended to be made until the studio wanted Sergio to make another western off the success of the dollar trilogy. But instead of releasing an imitation of his dollar trilogy, Leone instead began a new trilogy chronicling the history of America starting with this, the end of the West.

What makes Once upon a time such a great film and one of my favourites of all time is not just because of the gorgeous cinematography, the legendary Ennio Morricone score with the main characters having their own leitmotifs. It is the originality of the film in its casting. The film is like a panoramic painting with the characters deliberately vague. It’s difficult to pull off in films, only Sergio Leone made it with such success.

Stemmed from this, is the fact that it has such a strong female lead. It is uncommon in the western genre and it’s what makes the film feel fresh and un-Hollywood. It gives the film a different perspective than contemporary westerns of the time. But the most talked about is the casting of Henry Fonda as the killer gunman Frank who was up to that point seen as a righteous leading man. It is played with such precision and weight that he creates one of his most iconic characters and one of the greatest villains ever brought to the screen. Then there is Charles Bronson, never without his harmonica. He plays his harmonica when he should talk, and talks when he should play. This is his finest performance. Successfully Leone carefully reveals the cruelty and ruthlessness of the characters even in the most heroic ones.

The film does have a flaw, but it is easily forgettable. The film has quite a thin narrative, but makes up for it in layers of meaning. For example, the film is as much about revenge as it is about money and the American dream. The American dream is represented in one image, the painting of the Ocean that hangs on the wall of the wealthy railroad baron, Morton’s train. It reflects the character in which he only dreams of getting away to the pacific and not of the many people who get killed because of his orders.

The imagery is one of the main highlights of Once upon a time in the west. You will finish the film with your head full of beautiful images of the west. The film has some of Leone’s greatest shots, especially a crane shot that reveals a bustling growing town. In one shot it shows the growth of America, and the changes of that time period. It was surely an epic shot back in the 60’s and it still stands up today.

The action in the film is brutal but quick. Sergio Leone, as he does in most of his films, prefers to focus on the build up to the violence. When the violence does come it feels like a release from the tension and it affects the viewer more so then just showing a lengthy violent scene. The final showdown between ‘Harmonica’ and Frank is surely the highlight of the film. Sergio Leone uses flashbacks to finally reveal their pasts and when it’s revealed everything suddenly makes sense and there is a great emotional undercurrent in the scene. But as soon as the flashback ends, gunfire is heard. An emotional marrying of flashbacks, great acting, epic shots and a beautiful score accompanied with stylish vistas makes this scene, and the film, legendary.

Not even Clint Eastwood’s final farewell to the western with Unforgiven has a western been so confidently and beautifully made then this. Sergio Leone was a master with the genre and will probably never be bettered. He had a command of the medium that not many directors have managed to obtain since.

Favourite films- PETER JACKSON'S 'THE LORD OF THE RINGS'

2006-10-01T17:51:00.000+01:00

Directed by Peter Jackson
Produced by Peter Jackson
Barrie M. Osborne
Mark Ordesky
Tim Sanders
Fran Walsh
Written by J.R.R. Tolkien (novel)
Frances Walsh
Philippa Boyens
Peter Jackson
Starring Elijah Wood
Ian McKellen
Viggo Mortensen
Sean Astin
Sean Bean
Distributed by - USA -
New Line Cinema
- non-USA -
various distributors
Release date(s)- Dec 2001- Dec 2003
Running time- 671 minutes

When deciding to write about my favourite films of all time I never thought about how hard it would be to write about the Lord of the Rings. The problem seems to be the fact that the films have only been around for a few years and are so recent in the mind. They have been discussed and analysed so much over these last few years that I have been left exhausted by the whole experience. It seems almost unnecessary to talk about them right now because anything I will say has already been said countless times. The craftmanship, splendour and imagination that went into this film didn’t just bring it popular success, but a classic status with no contemporary comparisons. There hasn’t been a film for decades that has made such an impact on the world, probably not since Star Wars. So with all this weight attached to it, I find myself trying to find a way of writing about it. But there is no way but to write about what I feel, why it is special to me. I would imagine some of the reasons are some of yours too.

The first act of the Lord of the Rings, the Fellowship of the ring blew me away. I’m ashamed to admit that I had never heard of the books before. The first teaser trailer looked rubbish so obviously I had no interest in it but I still ended up seeing it, thank god. I ended up seeing all three acts in the cinema and loving each one more then the last, though I tend to think the second act is the weakest of the three though I didn’t have that view on opening weekend. Over time, which is only a few years, I have grown to love the first act the most but in the end it doesn’t matter. All three acts are so consistent and awe-inspiring that I tend to now think of them only as one long film and not three separate films.

Think about it. The Lord of the Rings is not technically a trilogy as none of the films can operate alone. It’s not, like Star Wars, films that stop and pick up again at a later date. This is my reasoning behind my view that it should be considered as one film and I will treat it as such.

It’s hard to write about how much I love this film and how amazingly perfect it seems to me now. I find it impossible to only watch pieces of it, I have to start at the beginning and watch it all the way through, which is surprising due to the fact it comes in at just over 10 hours and I don’t think I could even sit down and watch two Star Wars movies in a go let along one of the longest films of all time. I’ve still yet to watch all three acts in one go, mind you.

What make the film so enjoyable and why I adore it so much, apart from the epic battles, the eye to detail and the mammoth scope of the whole thing are the characters. The characters are what make the film so special. Peter Jackson showed great sensitivity in this film, marrying gritty action with an intimate approach of the characters. I can’t get enough of these characters; I could seriously have another film just to see them all together again. Despite the fiery demons, Orcs, Middle Earth’s dirty domains and giant spiders the emotion stays forefront. The chemistry of the characters, possibly due to them all having a huge bond in real life, is the closest to perfection you can get in a film. Yes, occasionally the relationships can get a bit too syrupy like with Frodo and Sam (remember the end of the Fellowship with Frodo looking at Sam the way he does, sheesh). The jokey, two dimensional relationship between Gimli and Legolas sometimes takes away more from the film then adds. But most of the characters are likeable and it makes the journey that much more engaging and emotionally satisfying. Despite the film being the biggest in cinema history it kept the most important aspect intact, which most films on this scale don't, heart and soul.

There is another character in the film that I almost forgot to mention, no not the CGI breakthrough that is Gollum, but nature. The film is full of sweeping shots of mountainsides brushed in forests and lordly rivers. The film captures the beauty of nature for all to see, and it plays as much a role in the film as does the human characters and that bloody ring. Oh, the ring. I almost forgot to mention it.

The ring is almost a character itself, always there looming over the characters and Middle Earth’s fate. It is of course what sets the story off; the purpose of its destruction is the whole point of the film. It raises one of the most important questions of all, is evil external or internal? Does the ring bring out people’s bad sides because evil is in everyone or is it the ring that is evil and it controls us? It raises many philosophical questions and is up for much debate. This is what I find key to the masterpiece of the film and this depth is what lacks in many films of this size.

I don’t want to ever read the books because I feel that I might end up finding faults with the film, it’s too much of a risk. That is how much this film mean to me.

The extended editions are now the only versions I own and so they are what I refer to. If you haven’t seen them, then please do so as I think they are superior to the theatrical versions. They have more action, more character driven scenes, extra depth, and even though they go on a lot longer the films seem to be able to breathe more and flow more cohesively, especially Return of the King which I felt was rushed in the theatrical version.

The added scenes in the extended editions such as Saruman and Grima Wormtongue’s demise and the introduction of the Mouth of Sauron in the third act are vital to the film. It’s surprising it was cut out in the first place.

The first act of the film boasts more scenes of the journey, especially when the hobbits first hook up with Aragorn. The most important is the added scenes of Boromir however, and his alluring to the ring which sets up his tragic end and now doesn’t feel as much of a sudden change in character like I felt it did in the theatrical version. It helps though that Sean Bean was great as Boromir, definitely one of the best supporting characters in a decade. Also there's a gift giving scene with Galadriel which should have been in the theatrical version because it is so important to the overall film, especially since it explains how the fellowship got many of their tools which end up being essential for their survival.

The second act, titled The Two Towers is my least favourite of the three acts, however much like the others it contains more great scenes through the extended editions and it improves the pacing considerably. Also it is possibly the act that is most improved by the added or lengthened scenes. There are more uplifting moments between Frodo and Gollum that help the pacing; I always felt the pacing was off in the theatrical version. But now the film gives more screen time for Gollum and adds weight to the duality of Gollum’s split personalities. There are more scenes involving the trouble in Théoden’s Kingdom and it has some of the most emotionally involving scenes of the second act and is important to the overall story that follows into the final act. However, the Ent poetry is still not as good as it probably think it is and could have been easily trimmed without losing much of the Ents’ purpose in the film. This is usually the point of the film where I make a cup of tea or use the toilet.

Overall, the extended editions are great and they make me love the film even more. That was something that I never thought possible. Through added scenes it fleshes out the story to something bigger but without making it feel slower. It covers over some of the holes and gripes I had with the theatrical versions.

Peter Jackson, and the cast and crew of this film created something true and great, something that won’t only stand the test of time but will no doubt be in my favourite films of all time. I wouldn’t be surprised if it never changed from being my favourite film ever. Furthermore, the fact that they managed to make a great film even better through extended versions just proves their worth and genius.

I feel for those who aren't transported by this film, I really do. There are scenes that match some of the greatest cinema ever made and that take cinema to a whole new level and raise the bar for every other film to come. It would be unfair now to compare The Lord of the Rings to the Star Wars series or even to the Godfather series. For this is the big one now.

Rolling Stones: Early 60's

2006-09-21T11:45:00.000+01:00

I found this article on the early years of the Rolling Stones. It is a fantastic read if you're into the band or want to know more about them. There is also an interesting arguement of who was better, the Beatles or the Rolling Stones.

band of the decade

2006-09-18T18:36:00.000+01:00

I’ll sound like one of them NME junkies when I say this but....

I miss the Libertines.

The band that best defines the 00's. They changed my life, and changed the british music culture forever.

The magic is when you were together.

Brick- film of the year?

2006-09-16T12:52:00.000+01:00

I finally got to see Rian Johnson’s debut film Brick today. It is an acclaimed detective story about a man who must find out who murdered the girl he loved. The twist is that it’s set in an American high school with its own lingo.

I’d heard great things about it and previously mentioned it on my blog back in April and planned to see it at the cinema but it didn’t come out anywhere near me and at the time I had no car.

Criticisms of the film have been the use of lingo like ‘duck soup’ which means easy pickings and other words which makes the dialogue hard to follow. I was well prepared for this but still found the dialogue a little hard to follow especially when it’s so important to following the story. But it didn’t take me out of the film but instead made me concentrate a lot more. I felt immediately engaged in the world the director has created wasn’t affected by the fact that its set in a high school, in fact it just made it more interesting.

I thought the characters were well established and the acting was overall excellent from the rising stars. I especially liked the protagonist that had a bit of Bogart about him at times.

The DVD comes out Monday.

Newsweek review

2006-09-15T10:13:00.000+01:00

As a Beatles fan and for any excuse just to mention them on this blog I have included Newsweek's first review on the band. Its funny reading this now but they did not get the love and respect that they would get only years after their first shows. Newsweek once said this about the Fab 4:

"Visually they are a nightmare: tight, dandified, Edwardian-Beatnik suits and great pudding bowls of hair. Musically they are a near-disaster: guitars and drums slamming out a merciless beat that does away with secondary rhythms, harmony, and melody. Their lyrics (punctuated by nutty shouts of "yeah, yeah, yeah!") are a catastrophe, a preposterous farrago of Valentine-card romantic sentiments."

They really didn’t get it at all and especially when they predicted that:

“The odds are that they will fade away, as most adults confidently predict."

9/11

2006-09-11T12:05:00.000+01:00

It is the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks where nearly 3,000 lives were lost. There are plans for silent reflection and fresh mourning.

2006-08-31T07:59:00.000+01:00

give this guy a job

New ambitions. photography at Collage next year. Maybe.

Job interview next Wednesday…woo!

the sky is not falling in

2006-08-30T18:53:00.000+01:00

unemployed but earning money through plumbing. step-dad.

week in pictures

all we have

2006-08-27T18:48:00.000+01:00

All we have is the life in front of us and the perspectives we choose to gain from what interests us the most.

Rejection

2006-08-26T13:36:00.000+01:00

"If you have been rejected many times in your life, then one more rejection isn't going to make much difference. If you're rejected, don't automatically assume it's your fault. The other person may have several reasons for not doing what you are asking her to do: none of it may have anything to do with you. Perhaps the person is busy or not feeling well or genuinely not interested in spending time with you. Rejections are part of everyday life. Don't let them bother you. Keep reaching out to others. When you begin to receive positive responses then you are on the right track. It's all a matter of numbers. Count the positive responses and forget about the rejections."

- Meeting people is easy Radiohead DVD

links...4 of 'em

2006-08-23T18:00:00.001+01:00

I was trying to help my friend put a speaker system into his new car when it started to rain heavily so we decided not to bother but leave it until it stops. It looks like it is not going to stop for some hours yet. So now i don't have much to do apart from piss about on the pc where i've found some great links that i feel you should see. Enjoy.

I found this list for the 200 greatest songs of the 1960's over at Pitchfork. It is a great great list and a fantastic read. The 60's are still, for me, the best decade for music.

This is my myspace page so add me people!

Corinne's review of V festival 2006

2006-08-21T18:01:00.000+01:00

v festival. what a mish mash of cultures and sounds.

it was obvious that radiohead were going to be the best thing about it, and it was going to be one dickens of a show, but i also enjoyed watching bands that i didnt like too much, for example 'The Feeling' who did this beautiful song about alcohol called 'rose' but you say it like rosay. i dont know how to do accents. i also enjoyed watching razorlight. they are actually really good. that bloke on drums. the power of that voice. jonny took his top off, which i thought was a bit pointless, but there we go. the songs are good, but he didnt say what they were called so im going to get the new album.

on sunday, ohmygoodness. magic numbers were their usual boring selves. get the moaning out of the way. The divine comedy were quite good, they did that national express song and the new one about being a virgin or something, but they also did a cover of nelly furtado's maneater which was totally random, and at the end the guy goes "dont ask". at that point we were at the tshirt stall and i got a beck one for later, which subsequently got covered in mud. anyway, magic numbers were on before bloc party, we got closer for them. kele was good with the crowd, everyone was dancing around. apparently matt got a satsuma chucked at his head, i didnt see that. i dont think they did any new songs at all. they did 'two more years' and most ones off the album. like eating glass was excellent.

then was the big one. Keane. i was anticipating a good show after i saw these weird pipe things being wheeled onstage, and at least 4 keyboards and really really posh drums. lol... first tim rice-oxley came on and played 'the iron sea' which is just him on the weird keyboard with the synths. i thought it was good, nobody else did. then tom and richard came on to rapturous applause (not) and they played everybodys changing which got an ok singalong. ...... im not going to go through all the songs because that would bore you but tom was good at introducing the songs, he said a bit about what various ones meant to them like 'A bad dream' which is about this guy who flew in a plane in the war. i cant remember what else he said. lol. excellent set tho, they played crystal ball so i was happy. and somewhere only we know, that had to be the highlight.

Beck. americans eh. crazy sense of humour. i dont think the crowd really got it, but never mind. mmmmmmmh. it would take me ages to explain it all but basically there was a puppet version of everyone in the band and a mini stage with the puppeteers behind doing the mouths and the dancing. there was a 'puppet cam' and a video of the puppets going around on the rollercoaster and in the toilets and trashing radiohead's dressing room which was really funny. the voices especially. excellent acting... but. the songs were amazing. the band, just no words for how good it was musically. they played the ones the crowd were most likely to know like 'E-pro' and 'Girl' and they played a few from the new album. probably did some from odelay but i dont have that album so i wouldnt know. beck on his own did some covers, first of creep and then something else i knew but i forgot now. and then something else. but the rest of the band were sitting at this table eating, and eventually beck went over and they did a song.. with them like making drum noises out of things. that was good. i was impressed by that as well.

Radiohead. we waited, what was it. 45 mins from beck ending to them coming on. i was tired, my legs hurt..etc. and i needed a drink. but its radiohead, come on. but they did eventually. and everyone went crazy. for the first few i was in the pit with all the sweaty men which was horrible, but i got pushed back a bit and i had more space there. my favourite ones they played were pyramid song and idioteque, but paranoid android got i'd say the best response from the ppl around me. i feel crap for not remembering everything. in the first encore they did 'you and your army' which was really good, thom working the audience. the screens at the back as well. the blokes laughing at thom's face. the beer cups and bottles landing everywhere. 'creep' was, i dont know how to say. it was amazing because its radiohead and... lets be honest. the lyrics are fantastic. but i was a bit... well they gave in didnt they. but i think they enjoyed it too.
i left feeling numb. it hadnt sunk in, and it still hasnt. it was a great weekend though, no doubt about it. went so quick. i didnt see everyone i wanted to, i missed most of Rufus Wainright's set. he's easy to get to a gig to see tho. i might do that.

peace out V.

Arcticle on anti-heroes in cinema

2006-08-21T17:36:00.000+01:00

Outsiders of film

link

2006-08-08T17:39:00.000+01:00

A link for thee- http://www.myspace.com/alberthammondjr

Button, we love you!

2006-08-06T19:40:00.000+01:00

This is too good not to be mentioned.

Jenson Button had his first F1 victory today on his 113th attemp; it was possibly the finest moment of this season which topped off a great race.

Albert Hammond Jr. goes solo

2006-08-05T09:03:00.000+01:00

At last, some Strokes-ish news:

Albert Hammond Jr. from the Strokes is heading out on his own and releasing a solo album but hopefully he is not leaving the band.

The album is entitled yours to keep and is due out in the UK on October 9th. There are many guests involved including, Sean Lennon, Sammy James Jr., the Strokes manager Ryan Gentles, Kweller and a few more.

The tracklisting:

01 Cartoon Music for Superheroes (Goodnight)

02 In Transit

03 Everyone Gets a Star

04 Call an Ambulance

05 Blue Skies

06 Back to the 101

07 Bright Young Thing

08 Scared

09 Holiday

10 Hard to Live in the City

The video below is for In Transit and was on the Strokes fan club dvd. The singing on it is pretty distorted and it is not perticularly great but the song it self is really cool. It will most likely be cleaned up a bit for the album.

no more death from above

2006-08-05T08:58:00.000+01:00

Canadian dance-metal punks Death from above 1979 have officially broken up. I thought Keeler’s message was really nice, and for those of you who actually liked this band it’s a shame.

hey

i know its been forever since i wrote anything on here. im sure by now most of you assume the band isnt happening anymore since there are no shows, no work on a new album, etc. well. i wanted to let you know that your assumptions are correct. we decided to stop doing the band... actually we decided that almost a year ago. we finished off our scheduled tour dates because there were good people working for us who relied on us to make a living and buy christmas presents and pay rent etc. we couldnt just cancel everything and leave them out to dry... plus i think we wanted to see if we would reconsider after being out on the road. our label was really hoping that we would change our minds, so they asked us to keep quiet about the decision for at first. well, its been quite awhile now and we are still very sure the band wont happen again, so i guess its time to say something.

we started as a punk band with pop aspirations and we met every goal we set for ourselves. a few weeks ago, the album finally went gold in canada and that was the final mark i really wanted to reach.. it was my goal to see how big we could become without ever compromising or changing what we did right from the start... and now i know. we did way more than i ever expected and i like to think the fans (you?) enjoyed it as much as we did.... watching us sneak our way onto network tv, big festivals and sports arenas... playing music that most people assumed only belonged in basements and dirty rock clubs. we played our first show in a living room on long island for about 12 people and played our last in the calgary saddledome for 12,000. ha! what more could i have ever asked for? ive been in lots of punk bands over the last 15 years and i played every basement, squat, hole and alley from here to eastern europe. dfa79 was the first time i ever really played on a stage, yet i really didnt change what i was doing from what id been doing in the past... hell i was even using the same amplifiers!

i never would have imagined that the wall of noise i love so much could have come this far. to see my silly elephant trunk idea become so popular... im sure its the greatest piece of graphic design ill ever do.over the last 3 years of touring, sebastien and i had grown apart to such an extent that the only real time we spoke was just before we would play and during interviews. we both changed so much that the people we were by the end of it, probably wouldnt have been friends if they were to meet for the first time again. its a totally normal function of growing up. like how your high school bf/gf that meant so much to you would probably be the last person you would date at 30, ya know? thats where we got to. its not sad.

it would be more sad if we stopped changing and growing and kept playing the same songs for 40 years like the rolling stones. for me that would be a nightmare.

thank you so much for your support from beginning to end. thanks ache records for giving us that first 325 dollars and thanks last gang for taking us the rest of the way. thanks to everyone who came out to our shows, wrote letters just to say hi, baked cakes and made your own t-shirts. i kept everything you gave me. thanks so much to the kids who came really early to see us when were were opening for bigger bands... that meant so much to me.

i hope i have been a positive example and not a bad influence and i really want you to know that when you stop me on the street and i dont know what to say, its not because i dont appreciate you, its just not something ill ever really get used to.

thanks again

j f k

driving test hurrah

2006-07-28T09:46:00.000+01:00

I passed my driving test yesterday. Now i got to get off my arse and find a job, i'm going for an interview next week actualy.

The Fountain

2006-07-14T10:07:00.000+01:00

There is a film coming out later this year called The Fountain and it stars Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz. It is only the third directorial effort by acclaimed cult director Darren Aronofsky (PI, Requiem for a dream) but it promises to be the most beautiful and astounding film of the last decade or more.

The premise is slightly different to what we expect in films, and in a way it sounds more like a novel. The core of the film follows Hugh Jackman as a research scientist trying to find a cure for cancer. It’s personal for him as his wife, Rachel Weisz, is dying from a brain tumor. Jackman’s team brings back a sample from a unique tree in the South American jungle and while experimenting with the bark of the tree, Jackman realizes he may have made an astonishing breakthrough. Meanwhile, Weisz is writing a novel about a conquistador (also played by Jackman) who travels to the New World to find the Biblical Tree of Life for his queen (also played by Weisz). The third strand of the story takes place in the far future, with Jackman (still playing the scientist) hurtling through space in a strange bubble, with only the South American tree to keep him company. Weird huh?
The reviews that have been coming in, I don’t usually trust reviews but are sometimes enjoyable to read, are extremely positive. I was interested in seeing this film anyway but the reviews are just making me want to see it even more, if that is possible.

Anyway, I found this blog http://thefountainmovie.blogspot.com/ which is following the Fountain and it is a great read. It is especially interesting if you are interested in the film, even the slightest.

I wouldn’t imagine this film will be for everyone but if it is as great as the reviews are making out then this could be huge considering the Oscar attention it will most surely receive. At last a film to look forward to in 2006.

The Eraser

2006-07-10T18:09:00.000+01:00

Dark, cold, beautiful, disturbing, kid A-ish. These are all words to describe Thom Yorke’s engaging musical landscape that is the Eraser.

Here are some interesting facts:

The song title “Atoms for Peace" was the title of a speech given by Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953. It is also the motto of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Harrowdown Hill in Oxfordshire is notable for being the place where the body of Dr David Kelly was found in 2003.
In an interview, Yorke said that "Harrowdown Hill" is "the most angry song I've ever written in my life. I'm not gonna get into the background to it, the way I see it..and it's not for me or for any of us to dig any of this up. So it's a bit of an uncomfortable thing."- BBC News.

music videosa

2006-07-09T16:00:00.000+01:00

Sufjan Stevens - Casmir Pulaski Day Live at the 40 Watt

The Beatles- Rain (1966)

The Ramones- I wanna be sedated

A pile-up of football trajedy

2006-07-03T11:27:00.002+01:00

What a weekend...for tv anyway!

1 Jul - Final score after penalty kicks

Portugal 3
England 1

First off, the England match was both edge-of-your-seat gripping and annoyingly frustrating all at once. Yes we did lose but at least we put a lot of passion and hard work into it, we did not go down with out a fight. Of course, there has to be an excuse for why we lost and already some are pointing the finger at Roony for his little pissy fit which got him the red card. Some are saying it was Sven, and others are saying the whole team are to blame. I disagree because when Roony was sent off, England had never played any better and watching Crouch and Lennon was some of the matches finest moments....sadly they got no where. It was all down to one thing, the fatal penalties. It is, and has been for many years, England's achilles heel. I believed that, bias as it seems, Portugal were not on form and instead England deserved to win. The image that will be remembered for a long time yet is the one with the injured Beckham crying as he sits and watches the match as England's dreams fades away.

The Formula 1 was nothing special but it was certainly better then the shit that we had to endure last year on the US grand prix. Schumacher took his fifth consecutive U.S. Grand Prix but was actualy cheered by the crowds which i was not expecting and it was the first time this year that Alonso did not finish on the podium. The biggest incident was at the start of the race between the two McLarens, Webber, Klien, Speed, Montagny and Heidfeld with a big pile-up.

morning photo

2006-06-30T11:35:00.000+01:00

I was sent these photos by Corinne this morning of a mural of The Eraser artwork found on a building in Ladbroke Grove. The building is the headquarters for XL Recordings, the label that is releasing Thom Yorke's (Radiohead) The Eraser. Extremely cool! A great find indeed.

R.I.P. TOTP

2006-06-21T12:59:00.000+01:00

Top of the Pops has been axed after 42 years. Who didn't see this coming?

I wonder what will take its place, i bet they won't be able to resist creating a whole new show.

Muse

2006-06-20T16:48:00.000+01:00

I’ve been listening to Muse’s new album Black Holes and Revelations , I haven’t downloaded it illegally but I’m listening to a few of the tracks over at hypemachine.com. I’m not a fan of them, but then I’ve never listened to much of their stuff. Well I heard Knights Of Cydonia which has to be the most epic, amazing, mars attacks-ish song I’ve ever heard. It’s so good in fact I might just change my opinion of them and get this record.

Check it out over at hypemachine.com or download it, it is out there somewhere.

the Strokes new video!!!

2006-06-20T08:23:00.000+01:00

This is the video for Stroke's new single, You Only Live Once. Possibly the best single of the year so far ;)

Also, what is this i've heard about Depp wanting to make 3 more sequels for pirates of the Carribbean? We haven't even seen the second one yet.

For man-bag wearers

2006-06-17T13:02:00.000+01:00

England have been so underwhelming in the world cup that it is becoming a series of effortless, disappointing matches where we still somehow have hope we will get better once we meet the stronger teams. But then despite knowing all of this I still hope myself that we can pull ourselves out from this slump and go on to the finals.

Not exactly an exciting period for music, unless you like Keane or the mediocre Muse. Gnarls Barkley is releasing Smiley Faces as their next single, so expect it to top the UK charts for a few weeks but not as long as the hugely successful crazy.
Razorlight have a new single called In the Morning and it has a Talking Heads the Road to Nowhere vibe to it. Appalling…ok maybe not that bad as its possibly not going to annoy me too much when it keeps being played over and over on the radio.
Thom Yorke’s The Eraser comes out in a few weeks (10/07). I was left a little under whelmed by the song the Eraser but I have hopes this album will be a grower. Though I think I’ll pick up the last 2 Radiohead albums before I purchase this.

I suppose everyone is excited about the summer festival season. I’m not however; no tickets but then I’ve never been to a music festival so I’m not too bothered. I’m a small gig person…if that actually exists.

The Importance of being idle

2006-06-14T11:20:00.000+01:00

Thoughts of the moment.

As I prepare myself for next weeks exams I wonder how soon I should get a job. I’m not trying to avoid it, honestly. But then i find myself in some kind of idle mode, unable to get out of it.

Is it worth the aggravation

To find yourself a job when there's nothing worth working for?

It's a crazy situation

But all I need are cigarettes and alcohol!

You could wait for a lifetime

To spend your days in the sunshine

You might as well do the white line

Cos when it comes on top . . .

You gotta make it happen!

I like those Oasis lyrics, kind of sums up the time I’m in right now. The rebellious excitement of youth. Don’t read too much into the lyrics, I don’t do white lines or cigarettes.

I feel as if I won’t be doing as well in the English exams this year, I’ve been doing revision but at least last year I studied Hamlet. Hamlet, for me, was possibly one of the best plays I had ever read. This year it is the Merchant of Venice and what a load of overrated ball. How can anyone read a play that does not have any interesting characters, you see I can read some books with gangsters as protagonists but the characters in the Merchant of Venice have no redeeming features. Most are unlike able and dull, with Shylock being the only character that seems to be three dimensional. Also the play is supposed to be a comedy yet it must be lost in translation because it does not make me laugh. In fact I find the play quite depressing with its themes of racial hatred and self interest. I know a lot of people will disagree with my opinion, but then this is my opinion and you nobody can ever change that.

Another reason for not doing as well is I have found myself getting lazy and find myself writing on my blog rather then doing revision. Tut tut. ;)

I better get my act together and do some revision.

Ever repeat it?

2006-06-11T14:38:00.000+01:00

If England plays anything like they did yesterday then there is not a lot of hope of them winning the World Cup. The commentators and apologists can blame it as much as they want on the hot weather. These players are some of the most expensive and talented footballers in the world and they should be doing a lot better then this. Shame.

Let off steam in your comments below!

666

2006-06-07T17:13:00.000+01:00

People made out that yesterday was going to be some kind of apocolypse or something since the date had an inordinate number of sixes. Anything happen? No, obviously it was all a load of eschatology ball. I don’t blame people for imagining something like that to escape reality, but isn’t it obvious that nothing was going to happen and that it’s all fictional? They were even talking about it on the news.

But did anything weird happen to you or someone you know yesterday? Supernatural or the devil’s work? I was attacked by a pigeon.

England

2006-06-04T14:29:00.000+01:00

England 6- 0 Jamaica

Come On En-ger-land!

I must inform the readers of my blog (2 of you then) that this blog will now only be associated with the World Cup.

I'm joking.

MOJO July 06

2006-06-01T16:50:00.000+01:00

MOJO has a great issue this month as it features a Beatle’s Revolver tribute CD. Also it has an extensive look at the origins of the making of Revolver and the ‘101 Greatest Beatles Songs’ with an all star poll e.g. Yoko Ono, Noel Gallagher, Brian Wilson, the Byrdes… In fact it is so well written and interesting it made me get out my Beatles albums and listen to them all over again and now I can’t stop listening to them.

I’m currently studying William Blake’s poems, songs of Innocence and Experience in particular. This accompanied with the Beatles golden song writing I suddenly find myself captured in a sort of musical wave of inspiration. Which ultimately ended up with writing some more lyrics and I’ll be sure to post them up some time in the future.

The End

2006-05-27T14:27:00.000+01:00

Yesterday was my last day in further education, though I still have the exams to do and the formal to attend this is pretty much the end.

The last two years at sixth form have possibly been the best two years of my life. It wasn’t always an exciting place but the people I met, the moments we had and the rocking parties made it special. I raise my glass for you. I’ve probably never had such a great group of friends in all my life and possibly never will again and for that sixth form was extremely special and dear to me.

I don’t want to get too stuck down in sentimental ballshit but I felt I should mention how great these last two years have been. Now it’s time to go celebrate!

the daily intrigue

2006-05-24T17:55:00.000+01:00

I’ve not felt well at all and I had almost forgotten that I actually had a blog. I must be honest, I almost gave it up. You see this blog first began as a site for showing off my lyrics and my band plans, the band fell apart but I started writing random music news, reviews, diary-ish pondering into the mix. Suddenly my blog kind of got more popular, popular meaning more then 5 people have actually bothered to come back to see what else I’d posted. But now I’m kind of unsure if this blog will be updated regularly or not or if I should give up on it for a while. So the future is slightly unclear, however I might end up just getting enough time.

Anyway, here is some random news and tributes for you.
Pitchfork has had a listen to Thom Yorke's The Eraser. Yes, that’s right, Thom from Radiohead. It seems extremely promising but then what do you expect from such a genius.

'Regarding The Eraser, Yorke also wrote "inevitably it is more beats & electronics. but its [sic] songs," and that pretty much sums it up. The record is song-oriented to a perhaps surprising degree-- no instrumentals, all tracks pretty much in the four-minute range, mostly standard time signatures-- and emphasizes the trademark textural richness of Radiohead and Godrich.'

The Futureheads sophomore album News & Tributes is available May 29th but you can listen to it over at nme.com. It’s a good album but I was left disappointed and under whelmed by it. News & Tributes seriously lacks the urgency of their debut which I loved so much. The wonderful harmonies are still here thankfully. I hope that this is a grower, I really do.

Sunday treat: F1- Monte-Carlo. This is my favorite track, it’s a real challenge for the drivers as the track is a deadly one. Also with this track, more then others, a lot of the success is dependent on how well the drivers get on in the qualifying. Fingers crossed for Honda’s Jenson Button this week, or am I the only one?

Hi Fi

2006-05-18T18:37:00.000+01:00

Saw the John Cusack film, High Fidelity last night for the first time. I absolutely love this film! Definitely will be checking out the soundtrack as well because the soundtrack kicked ass.

Highly recommend this film!!

2006-05-17T18:05:00.000+01:00

I suppose most will be watching Barcelona Vs Arsenal tonight, I found it quite funny that today when someone asked me (annoying football fanatic) if I was going to watch it and my response was "probably not!", he responded with “You call yourself a man? Most men watch football”. Nice generalisation, mate. Since when is football a man’s game anyway? Give me Rugby or F1 any day.

Also…am I the only one who hasn’t read the Da Vinci Code? It's a question which has been following me everywhere for quite some time now. This film is hyped like no other!

NME New Music Tour 2006- review

2006-05-09T18:01:00.000+01:00

Boy Kill Boy, the Automatic, Forward Russia, the Howling Bells

Live at Bristol Anson Rooms

Sat, May 6th

We got there quite early for the concert because the drive wasn’t too bad. To be honest even though we had been to Bristol and the Anson Rooms before, we were expecting to find ourselves lost and it almost happened when we took a wrong turn. However we corrected ourselves quickly and made it there fine and on time. Also, this time we didn’t need to stalk a rock star to find our way to the concert.

The Howling bells opened the concert up with style and sass. They have some of the most beautiful, seductive soundscapes you are likely to hear this year and they were perfect for starting off the gig for this reason alone. Another reason though, is Howling Bell’s lead singer and guitarist Juanita Stein. She has the most beautiful voice in music right now, and it’s just as seductive and passionate as the music and so accompanies it perfectly.
The highlight had to be Low Happening, their debut single which is by far my favourite of their songs. If you haven’t heard this band yet, be sure to check them out.

The atmosphere in the place was getting more exciting as we all knew we were going to see something special, it was Forward Russia after all and possibly one of the best new bands in Britain. So we decided to get to the front as quickly as possible because it was filling up fast as everyone anticipated their arrival. As was expected they were chaotic, loud and completely different to the Howling Bells in almost every way. From the first few chords the place suddenly becomes a huge ball of excitement and mania as they rip through their funk punk party music. But shit, it doesn’t half make you want to tear the place up.
Tom Woodhead has possibly one of the most spastic, thrilling stage personas I’ve ever seen. He along with Katie and Whiskas yelp, scream and shout through the songs at a relentless pace that almost leaves you dazed. They left me tired but wanting more, and that is never a bad thing.

The Automatic arrived spectacularly, Pennie was going insane with the synth and leaping around the stage and he became the most watched no doubt in the band. Their indie rock, with it’s slice of dancy punk took over me and I found myself in a mosh. Their stomping single Raoul got everyone dancing and jumping, and with their other track Monster they proved to be one of the best new bands, but they just couldn’t match the excitement created by Forward Russia.

Boy Kill Boy have some of the best rock tracks of the year, one’s that will easily get in your head and stay there for days and there’s no doubt that you will be singing “Countdown, countdown, countdown to the dissapointment” at work. Their soaring rock melodies and odd synth coupled with their glorious wit proves that the Arctic Monkeys might not be the only big breakthrough British band this year. I read somewhere, someone claiming Boy Kill Boy was like Editors on speed and they wouldn’t be far off.

Overall, while I liked every band my favorites were definitely Forward Russia but it’s almost impossible to single out these bands. Each had their own identity and atmosphere around them that proved hugely successful on the night. I’d love to see the Howling Bells play again but have a much longer set, the same with Forward Russia. But I wouldn’t bet against either Boy Kill Boy or the Automatic being the biggest and most commercially successful of the bands here.

saviours of radio?

2006-04-12T17:37:00.000+01:00

Podcasts have really taken off, as the brilliant Ricky Gervais podcast indicated, radio 1 etc are doomed. Now I sound like an NME journalist considering that in the new issue (NME, April 12) they claim that Mike Smith’s takeyourmedicinemp3.blogspot podcast is the saviour of radio. It’s like them to come out with such a pretentious title but then you really can’t help but not get excited by the technology.

Just take a look over at Mike Smith’s site, he picks the tunes he wants and chats about them in such a passionate way, there’s no ballshit here. But now he’s got a huge audience and one that is growing every day resulting in him getting guestlists and a free record sent to him and he’s attended single launches in London.

If you have been on my blog before, and you read a post some time ago about myself wanting to make a podcast you will know why I’m getting so excited by this. The NME has quite a bit of coverage on how to do it and a few handy tips which is making me very excited, it seems making my own podcast could become a reality.

The Internet really is the future for bands/artists etc, not just for downloading of music but for podcasting as well.

on rotation

2006-02-11T08:48:00.000Z

Got any opinions on these albums? Like or dislike? I'd love to hear from you!

the future for new talent?

2006-02-08T18:06:00.000Z

I wouldn’t be surprised if you already had it, but I’m new to Myspace. I’ve had a dozen bands send me emails hoping that I will add them to make their friends list that much bigger. But I must admit, some of these bands or artists are not that good at all but there are a few exceptions.

Plain Jane Automobile is a band from Florida and boasts some great rock tunes. Duke Crider is the lead singer and sounds quite like Chris Martin from Coldplay. Apparently they are coming to the UK soon. Be sure to check out their myspace.

Two artists, Alan Tully from Dublin and Marwood from New York have also made me sit up and take notice. Despite the limited material from them, the songs they do offer are excellent and really should be out there for more people to listen to. Alan Tully’s highlight is Aeons, one of the best songs i've heard this year. If only he would get signed and get an LP out there to the world, he could prove to be one of the best musicians around, especially with crap like James Blunt clogging up the charts. Maybe it would show how bad alot of people's tastes are these days?

If you are not on myspace be sure to check it out and look around, it probably won’t be for everyone but it’s still one of the best sites I’ve found recently.

Why & Acid

2006-02-06T20:26:00.000Z

These are some more songs for the band.

They are not finished but i think they are good enough to be posted. I'm currently working on some more songs, which are in my opinion the best i've ever written and are quite different to the ones in this post and others i've submitted on this blog. But it's going to take alot of time, and time is something that i don't always seem to have.

I hope you enjoy. I always love to hear from you!

Why? ©

She was ideal,
Those were the days
It was her mind,
Made me misbehave.
And all your love,
Never did anything for me,
And I know you
Left me cold to see

Coughing up love like it always was,
Chocking on tar from your love buzz,
Where the only way out was to shoot you down
Bury you in a hole and steal your crown.

You stole him,
He lied to you.
But was blind to see,
You wanted me too,
Now alone under this blood soaked sky
Numbers, and times, and moments but why
Why?
Why?
Why?

Coughing up love like it always was,
Chocking on tar from your love buzz,
Where the only way out was to shoot you down
Bury you in a hole and steal your crown.

Why?

Acid ©

Waiting high at the bus shelter
Don’t mind her brain melter
All I need I tell her
This is what I do

It’s got a one track mind
But I don’t mind
As long as I can make it mine

Hallucinations of halting crime
Captive but free
At least I know you’re fine

You told me not to stop
Contradiction of the cop
You told me to stop
I told you what’s what

Flying and singing around my mind
Never scared of what you might find

spontaneous and random

2006-02-04T18:59:00.000Z

I really can’t figure this world out. It seems the media is much more interested in the threat of nuclear weapons being made then focussing also on global warming which will definitely destroy us in years to come. There’s not enough coverage, and focus on global warming which should be on the minds of everyone. Did you see those shots of the melting ice-caps not long back?

This post was going to be about these issues but I’ve found myself falling asleep and not because of the subject but the fact that I’ve not had enough sleep. How come the coffee won’t even work? Damn you!

I’m working on some new songs at the moment also. These will no doubt be published sometime in the near future. I’ve got some unfinished notes and stuff that could be posted up but I would rather show you finished songs. I’m really happy on the positive comments I’ve received, on the blog and through my emails. If it wasn’t for some of you then this blog would possibly not be around today.

There's some great films on at the cinema this weekend. Munich (15) by Steven Spielberg which i personaly thought was one of his best films he has ever done, but a tad too long at 3 hours which makes it a film which is better watched at home on DVD. Walk the Line (12A) with Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash came out yesterday; if your a fan of the legend of Cash or just want to see an old'e Hollywood style film then check it out. There's two fantastic films in case you have nothing to do.

Have a cool weekend!

Everything In Its Right Place

2006-02-01T15:57:00.000Z

It’s a new month, and it didn’t start off too well. I went on the pc this morning to check a few emails and while I do this I usually listen to some music on I-Tunes. But for some reason the pc decided to be mischievous and froze. The only possible way out was to turn the pc off and let it restart. However, once I got back on everything seemed to be ok until I went onto I-Tunes and there was no sound. This was the second time this week something has happened to my personal music collection, the other being my I-Pod the other day, which decided to switch off for no reason and then not come on for 3 minutes and the battery was fine. Well as stupid as it seems, turning the pc off again managed to restore I-Tunes to its usual self.

Technology sucks!

I went into Gloucester and took my Theory Test and passed it, I found it pretty easy actually but then I had done some homework. I know it’s sad to do it, but I’d rather not have to pay another £21.00!

Also I got the album Kid A by Radiohead but have not yet had a good enough listen to be able to comment on it but what I heard was really good, but also different to their other work. As you can probably tell, I’ve only taken interest in them in the last few months. Definitely for an acquired taste.

......that is all......

What will the future hold for us?

2006-01-30T11:54:00.000Z

Was there innocence to the 90s?

The world wasn’t full of angst like it is now. The charts were engrossed in Britpop, Bill Clinton was the president and Tony Blair was actually popular. The summers were a lot better then too.

Well I never actually witnessed the 80s, like some of you who might be reading this, I was only born in the last third of it and all I have is photographs, music, films and old programmes to show me what it was actually like, nothing like living it.

However, it’s not like bad things didn’t happen before the new millennium, because sadly it did and there was many mistakes made. But the world is covered in darkness these days, it’s not supposed to be like that but it is and it’s not going to change for decades to come. Fears of technology, terrorism, faulty economics, and paranoia have always been around, but this decade it has grown and has begun to starve the world. Stemmed from this, there have been a number of essays and sites broadcasting this kind of subject matter by pessimistic people.

But should we really be afraid of our and our children’s future?

?

2006-01-29T13:35:00.000Z

what is

P E R F E C T I O N?

It's Friday, and i'm seeing flying cars!

2006-01-27T17:20:00.000Z

Thanks to Nac’s excellent blog over at hyperguide.blogspot, I managed to get a glimpse of this picture of a flying car over at Google sightseeing.
<<<

I’m not sure what you think, but can this really be true?

Let's get to know each other, it's a Friday meme!

What are your top 5, films of all time?

1. Heat

2. Raiders of the Lost Ark

3. Goodfellas

4. the Empire Strikes Back

5. Garden State

Leave your answers as a comment or put it on your own blog!

14th Jan

2006-01-26T19:52:00.000Z

Free Stroke's tickets (oh no)

2006-01-26T18:42:00.000Z

I’m in a good mood, the best I’ve been in for quite some time. 1) I’ve got tomorrow off from work. 2) I’m not sure. 3) Oh yes, I went to see the Strokes last night. 4) Is there a 4?

So here it is, in all its flawed glory.

The Strokes
Live at Bristol Colston Hall
Wed, Jan 25th

I never doubted we wouldn’t make it there, I just thought that me and Tom would just be a little late. There was a crash on the motorway and there were queues for six to seven miles. After around an hour of sitting in the little Peugeot we finally started to make some progress and made it to the concert on time…phew!

However, because I got the tickets off of eBay and I was in a mad rush to get them I never took much notice of where the seats were allocated and they were pretty far apart. But we were there to see the band, not us so we were alright.

The support acts Shout out Louds came on, almost as we sat down, or it felt like it anyway. They were fantastic and had some great tunes at their disposal, the highlight being The Comeback. Made me want to check out more of their stuff.

But we were there for the Strokes, and the excitement was building. The lights went down. They came on, as cool as their reputation makes them out to be. They opened with The Modern Age before unleashing their new tracks Heart in a Cage and Juicebox, both proving to be great live. It never really let up from there, Julian was on fine form interacting with the crowd and doing press ups at the intro to ‘Reptilia’, dancing almost to some songs while Fab playing the drums, smoked on a cigarette. The passion and pace that they performed the songs was remarkable, it also helped that I was on the balcony close to the stage unlike at Noise and Confusion where I felt like I was a mile away. They performed around 20 songs; the new ones were as brilliant as the classics and showed that they won’t be going away just yet.

I came out, almost exhausted from the excitement but left with a buzz! This was it, this is what a great band on fine form is like, and it’s worth every penny!

Discard that Mouth

2006-01-24T19:32:00.000Z

These lyrics are not accomplished, i'm not even terribly fond of them yet i'm going to post them anyway to see what people think. Obviously most of the lyrics i post need some adjustments and changes and probably practise, but i don't 'feel' these as much as the others. Enjoy!

Discard that Mouth ©

This time I ask you what’s next,
You’re love offering me nothing new,
Passed along by the nothing in the sky,
And I wondered if you knew.

Yes, you keep on pressing,
Along with this stress of the west,
And I keep on kissing you,
Trying to find you that nest.

Discard that mouth
Which you criticise
You’re not funny
You’re not wise

Yet I’ll Struggle under the sun,
Where you taught me everything,
From the first cord to the final lyrics,
You taught me how to sing.

punk for you

2006-01-13T15:31:00.000Z

She’s still a mystery

She’s still a mystery,
Hope times will change.
I’m left in misery,
Licking up the fu**er’s grime.

I don’t even have her number,
Given it I can’t remember.
Behind your words are meanings,
I never did take seriously,
All your love teachings,
Is where?

I know what you must seek,
Saw you, what, last week.
Beautiful eyes,
So undemanding,
Sexy thighs,
So commanding.

I’m not giving up.
Suffering on vodka,
Taking time out,
In the bathroom of wonder.

Exhausted and itching

I look at you; you make me nervous all the time,
You don’t mind that I spend it all on you,
And you don’t even give a (fucking) dime.
Everyone is surprised that I still want you to stay,
But I’m just afraid that you’re just gonna fade away,

You walk on in like you have faith,
But I’m just stuck between four walls.
How can you say that it’s all safe?

No understanding on how or why,
I’m still here dusting it off,
But I’m sure,
I’m sure I didn’t die.

Exhausted and itching alive,
I see your bed and take a dive,
It’s all over now.

It’s so bad that it’s good,
Don’t say that I’m just stood,
Here, here, here.
Away from everyone and everything,
Have I won?

Podcast: Radio Talk Talk

2006-01-13T14:42:00.000Z

After many failed attempts i managed to get the microphone working at work, so i decided with a few of my mates, that we would make a radio show. We didn't have much time but it was hilerious anyway, which got me into thinking about making a podcast. So i found this site: http://www.podcastingnews.com/articles/How-to-Podcast.html and it got me even more fascinated. Just imagine the possibilities. I could be part of the pod cast hype that’s arisen over the last few months. So I eagerly downloaded the software to record and edit. But then I came to the problem…I don’t have a microphone at home! So i need help, does anyone know any microphones i can use on the pc that are quite cheap but good quality as well?

As you can probably tell, im crap with PCs.

peace

Ash

Helium!

2006-01-08T16:27:00.000Z

I had a nice weekend. I got up quite early on saturday, it was my birthday and so obviously i wanted to get up and see what i had. I got 16 cards all together which was cool. I went driving early at about 10am, this was because it gets so busy in Gloucester and other Learners are taking their practical and some places that we go to do manoeuvres are already being used. It wasn’t a very nice day for weather though, it was raining and even sleeting at one point but I didn’t mind too much.

In the afternoon I went out with my mum and step dad for a meal, but was surprised to find that other family members had come to congratulate my birthday which was nice. The meal was lovely, had a gammon steak…not as salty as usual so that was alright. The pudding though was a big shock…hot fudge, ice-cream, cream and flake and it was huge too. I just about managed to eat it. My granddad took some photos but to be honest they weren’t great because some of us didn’t look like we wanted photos done as we pulled some moody faces. But the afternoon was great, though the talk on the 40 Year Old Virgin wasn’t great table talk when eating, thanks mum.

There were no plans to go out so instead my friend Carl came around we talked, messed around on the pc and watched some TV while enjoying cold Beck’s. But found that my guitar string isn’t too good so I’ll have to go have it fixed…no tuning could help.

Overall, the day was good. There was no huge party and drunken antics, but there was a few surprises through out and was a pleasant day. No, the real partying is going to happen next Saturday at Carl’s birthday which I’m looking forward to.

Peace out!

Birthday. TV. Comedy. Karl Pilkington.

2006-01-06T20:21:00.000Z

It's my birthday tomorrow. Birthday's have never been great, yes the money is cool, and so is some of the presents but i never usualy celebrate them like some other people. What i'm going to be getting up to tomorrow is unknown. I do, however, know that i'm going out for a meal at the wonderful Harvester. http://www.mbplc.com/harvester/index.htm Whoo!

My smile grew enormous and still is since i read on the internet earlier, despite the fact that it still might not happen; 20th Century Fox are in early discussions to put "Futurama" back in production and create a limited number of episodes. This is great news as the show is the funniest cartoon ever made and better then the Simpsons by miles.

The Ricky Gervias meets Larry David was fantastic television last night as two of the greatest comedions met up and talked about their careers and comedy in general. Also it showed clips from Curb Your Enthusiasm which is the most underrated and best comedies showing at the moment. It was a joy watching the clips and made me want to go out and purchase all the dvds of the series. The downside of last night though was that Celebrity Big Brother is back, (what is the guy from The Ordinary Boys doing in there!?!) and i'll moan about how crap it is but i'll be watching it every night. Hypocrite? Possibly.

Talking about Ricky Gervais, just in case you don't know he is hosting a podcast every monday over at http://www.guardian.co.uk/rickygervais with Steve Merchant; ably hampered by Karl Pilkington! It's full of random convorsations on midgets Vs a Lion, foreign orgasmic machines, the usual monkey news and much more. Of course, if you're not a fan of Ricky Gervais then stay away. But for everyone else it's one of the best podcasts and 1/2 an hour of fried gold!

I have to go.
I'll be back with more random stuff soon, and possibly some crap on my life. So keep visiting my blog! ;) I'll leave you with this:

Evening Sun

2006-01-02T17:44:00.000Z

I’m at home, I’m not bored but I don’t seem to be doing a lot either. I know that I can do some work but I choose not to, instead I listen to music, read, use the PC and flip through the tedious TV channels. Are we all lazy in essence?

I’ve been thinking a lot of going on holiday, actually ever since I got back from New York last August. Travelling is so much fun; but I hate flying which is possibly the only thing that stops me from booking tickets right now. Oh, and because of money issues…and work. Damn! I’m thinking of upgrading to a better camera because photography is so rewarding. It’s art, man.

There are many places in the world that I would like to go but for some reason L.A., Japan and NZ stand out the most for me. They look so beautiful, as if they aren’t anything to do with this planet at all. Tokyo looks like a place from another world or something, totally weird.

To accomplish all of this I’m most definitely going to have to start saving up more and get a new job too, but then there’s the driving lessons which cost a bomb. I suppose many people could possibly relate to this dilemma, wanting to get away but ultimately can’t.

As I leave you to ponder on my nonsense, remember that the new Strokes album ‘First Impression of Earth’ is out today, and apart from like 2 songs it’s a great, great, great album! The coolest album, from the coolest band around!

enough is enough

2005-12-31T15:29:00.000Z

This is one more song i would like share and i have many more but some are too personal. This is about two siblings, Ruth and David. David is 13 and already suffers from alcohol and drugs abuse. His friends must watch his condition worsen. Pespective changes through out.

He didn’t know when to say “Enough” ©

There was darkness too,
In that care free youth.
Had an alcohol problem to boot,
All that while sat in denial,
At least God helped Ruth.
I had mates I didn’t want to use,
Still I looked to myself to accuse.

You could tell it was tough,
But what a nice boy he was,
But didn’t know when to say enough.

A temper that would easily erupt,
Seeded from his lies and scars,
He just didn’t know when to say enough.

Like a bird he would fly,
Was that Christmas so bad?
I thought he wanted a tie.

2006 here i come

2005-12-30T14:31:00.001Z

It's been very cold lately, and there's been quite a bit of snow as well. Nothing too dangerous though so no need to panic, your'll still be able to get to the corner shop still.

I have to thank the people who left a comment on my last post asking for more songs, appreciated. The second one i posted was definitely 'different' so i was expecting it to turn people off. Just for a little fact; the picture below is in fact the front cover to the charity album project i'm creating. The purple effects were complete accident; it happened to appear when i added it on the blog but i really like it. If you know your rock music (90s-) then you might be able to pick out a few of the music references.

Also, I found this exciting little site that you possibly might like; http://www.myheritage.com/

'MyHeritage.com is one of the world's first applications to apply the scientifically advanced technologies of face detection and recognition to family history and to consumer photos; and it's free.'

Have a happy New Year!!

For the band which will never be...

2005-12-30T13:52:00.000Z

These are unfinished lyrics, for songs which will never be sung, for a band that will never be. I hope that you enjoy them. If you want to read more then just leave a comment!

Walk on in ©

A bag full of clichés have been around,
Not caring for anything but you,
Come with me just don’t make a sound.
Dreamt of kissing you under the sun,
For god sake what am I saying?
Not going to add another one.

You walk on in like you have faith,
But im just stuck between four walls.
How can you say that it’s all safe?

And not afraid to care,
Keep breathing in the air.
Do you even love me?
Take a glance around you,
Best that they can’t fly,
Never let you suffer or die.
This is all I will ever be,
Hope it’s enough for you to see.

An I can’t do of the highest order
Said I was a sure fire miss
But I told them it was a maybe murder
All together it went so well
I just can’t figure out…
I could never tell

Dig a much bigger hole
Shut all that quiet racket
Don’t show them what we stole

Well done Jackass
You even killed my dog
Highlight of a mass
A ticking bomb?

No understanding on how or why
I’m still here dusting it off
But I’m sure
I’m sure I didn’t die

Exhausted and itching alive
I see your bed and take a dive
It’s all over now

Is this It?

2005-12-22T17:33:00.002Z

"I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it."

Groucho Marx

In a resturant, your meal came first. Is it rude to start it?
	Yes
	No

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