Hand over Fist, the money keeps leaving me

I've been a bit frivolous in the last 10 minutes, I have been given a self imposed ban on music purchase (both digital and hard copy). But I overturned this ban in a fit of mouse clicking. The itunes items I downloaded are currently playing through my headphones and are being audibly digested as I type. I don't want to read into the choice of downloads, but i will read into the mood that these tunes have put me into. 

I am listening to the vast airy tones of Stars of the Lid. I do not know much about them, only that I missed their gig a few weeks ago, and was kicking myself, please see previous blog post. So for anyone that knows them, you will understand the tone and mood that Dungtitled (In A minor), or Another Ballad for Heavy Lids is likely to impose on a person. For those that don't think Radiohead's last 4 albums played at half speed. Or even more appropriately Sigur Ros. It is slow, mountainous, vast orchestral pieces with trumpets, occasional lyrics. I picture myself standing in the empty streets of Dublin, much like in 28 Days later, an empty city, nobody, no cars, the whole place to myself. Except I feel happy, upbeat and calm in this emptiness. 

Normally I find this floaty, heavily futuristic heavy string laden musical opuses to be a bit mellow and anxiety inducing pieces of music that make me like an insignificant speck in an infinite universe.

Not this time, maybe its cause if I take my ear phones off i will be blasted with tunes that scream "Here comes Santa Claus, Here comes Santa Claus, right down Santa Claus lane ..." you get the picture, sugar coated sleigh bell ringing christmas tunes, so in a way Stars of the Lid are my Christmas saviors. 

I also got the two Fight Like Apes EPs, and they are a different kettle of fish. Interestingly again related to my previous blog, where I missed their gig.  I guess I should also get some more New Pornographers. Anyway, Fight Like Apes are just ace. Really think they will go far. 

I want to do a little Radiohead piece now. I got my Radiohead tickets for the 7th June in Dublin. I paid the outrageous 70 euro for the ticket. I feel it is pricy but it is roughly give or take the same for all their gigs on that tour. There are additional tour expenses that get factored into every ticket, but for a band that claim to value their fans so much, their 'take' on the ticket price seems high. Having said that, I will enjoy the gig, and feel that if that is the price to see the most important band currently, then I shall pay what needs to be paid. On a related note of handing money hand over fist to W.A.S.T.E and Radiohead, My Discbox has been dispatched, as has my Girlfriends (which i ordered only last week). They have not arrived as of yet.

Happy Christmas to all

I hope to get a christmas blog going before the new year.

Peace

A Lazy Wet November Day

Not to be confused with U2s opening line from Angel of Harlem, which reads 'A cold and wet December Day'. I am a month early for that line. But none the less, the title of todays blog came to my mind immediately as I look out the window of my room as I type. It is cold, it is wet it is November, but most of all I am being lazy. I am putting off what I should be doing now. Updating this blog has been on my mind now for a few days, I have much i could discuss, much I could impart, but instead I shall give a brief run through of all that is significantly worthy of mention. I have done much. Despite this being wrote in an attempt to stave off my real work, I will put a lot of effort and attempt to write that elusive great treatise on all that is good with this world.

A lot has happened these past fee weeks, there is much to write home about. My musical quest to find new and exciting bands and albums has taken me full circle. Listening to the local Indie Station, Phantom Fm, I have been introduced to many new and up and coming Irish Bands, and through a colleague of mine who champions all the weird and wonderful in musical circles.

The little I know about Fight Like Apes tells me that  i was a fool for missing their gig last week. They do seem to be where it is at. They have been described as having the energy and drive of a guitar band yet they achieve this without any guitars. 

While I was in San Francisco the previous week I came across the second hand section of some hippy music store in Haight-Ashbury. There I found a copy of the latest new pornographers album, 'challengers' for half nothing ($7 to be exact). I purchased it as a result of much bigging up from the musically aware colleague. I love it. I swore I would go see them next time they are in Dublin, knowing they were soon to be arriving, Again I missed them, yes they played last week.  

Now for where the circle enters the equation. Also in this cool hippy store I found the latest release from the greatly missed and departed artist Gram Parsons. Country music at its best. This was a double live cd of his newly created band 'The flying burrito brothers'. The band were supporting the Greatfull dead on their tour in 1969. The release is taken from their two dates in the Avalon Ballroom, and it is truly magnificent. My next 2 purchases came in the form of Old and Established artists who have released new albums, so again it is nothing new. The Boss and Magic, again a fine fine album, and finally Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. This is the finest album I have heard from this Country/Blues/Folk/Whatever Genre you care to include. The singing is great, Mr Plant better known from his Led Zeppelin screaming than soft melodic tuneful singing with the women who has won more grammy's than any female artist. 

So this musical quest has brought about 2 new and cool indie bands, and 3 old favorites. Full circle it is. I have also taken to listening to Mr Bob Dylan on the themetime radio hour. He is a surprising talented radio person.  I was not sure he would come across as well as he does, his knowledge is not in question, but his presentation skills quite possibly, based on his last few appearances in concert.

Bye for now

Rules and regulations

Hey, I've been meaning to update my page for a while, I keep putting it off. But not anymore. The event that spurned me to write another blog was of course the release of the new Radiohead album 'In rainbows'. I however did a search for blogs that review this opus of melody. The number is too large to be represented by mere human digits alone. Just to write it here would involve communication with an extra terrestrial species to comprehend the vast number of blogs about this topic. It would seriously involve ET phoning home. So I have abandoned this task of reviewing the album, track by track. 

Nonetheless, I will give you my verdict. I think it is a fine piece of craftsmanship. I love all ten tracks, and I eagerly await the discbox sometime in December. I take on board the criticism that the quality of the download could be better. But I ask everyone 'could the human ear even tell the difference between mp3, wav, aiff, and flac?' I ask cause I am not sure I could do so. But if the audiophiles out there are right and the .mp3 format and encoding on the download file could be vastly improved on.  I look forward with even greater eagerness to the cd and of course vinyl release contained in this discbox. Before I get shot for that above comment. I am well aware that cd quality is around 10 times better than mp3 quality. But again the question is asked, 'how many of us can tell the difference?'

Also before I forget, how much did you all pay? I went for the discbox so it was 56 euro or so (40 sterling)

A secondary reason for updating this blog, is I found a nice little interactive piece of cnet.com about setting up a blog, and it talks about things which I have struggled with in the past and am still struggling with now. Things such as 'A voice', 'A style' and so on. I've yet to crack it, but i keep telling my self 'practice makes perfect', well in my case lets hope practice makes for interesting musings. 

Staying with the topic of music, I have been lucky enough to buy some new albums and cds. You see I have imposed an embargo on new albums. I'm trying to cut back as there was a time, up until quite recently that I would blow all my available (and then some unavailable) cash on the latest CD. I have got my house in order now, so I can return to purchasing in moderation. The latest musical discs of joy to be added to my collection are the latest releases from the artists below:

• Ian Brown
• Herman Dune
• Richard Hawley
• The Chemical Brothers
• Arthur & Yu
• Devendra Banhart

All these albums are fine specimens of musical excellence, and along with 'In Rainbows' will be on heavy rotation in the car, on the mac, and on the ipod.

  

Anway, I am pleased as punch at this tome of a literary effort, tune in next time inspiration hits me like a watermelon to the head, all wet and sticky.

To be young!

[Please insert Image of your Choice]

Well further to my last post, i spent some time thinking about what i want to write about. I was hit by what felt like a knock on the head, a real lightbulb moment. I cam away from electric picnic with a new found sense of youth but at the same time I felt separated from youth and music. I reached a cross roads. The bands I head on the radio don't mean anything to me. My CDs don't get played. I felt that I was ready to take the road that turned left. This road brought my down towards a cul de sac. The dead end of accepting the fate everyone is faced with eventually. I could stop listening to music and tune into Radio 1 and listen to Joooeeeee Duuuuuuffffyyyy. A fate our parents accepted. No matter what we think our parents were cool. They had their youth culture, they had The Beatles, they had The Stones, they had The Beach Boys, but then they had us. They were no longer cool, they no longer bought albums, they no longer smoked weed, or stayed out late, hopefully they stopped jumping from bed to bed. Well basically I was faced with that finality of not being young anymore. 

So where does a smallish festival in the midlands on Ireland on an Autumn weekend come in. Well the line up really appealed to me, and I found that I had an alternative road to follow. This road to the right, brought me down a very different route. It was a direction change of that there was no doubt. My music was still dated, it is still gathering dust, but the difference is that I would tune in to, turn on to, and cop on to new music, different styles. The lightbulb moment was watching Modest Mouse. This a band I liked to start with, but something turned on inside me, that I still had it, that  I still had a taste for what is out there. I was hungry for more. I am lucky to know a lot of music heads, all have different tastes and styles, but I found that  I was no longer blinded, I could see what the music scene had to offer. I am indebted to a number of musos. 

I now feel rejuvenated, and have discovered my love for such a new and eclectic scattering of bands and albums. To name just a few, Jens Lekman, Final Fantasy, Destroyer, The new Pornographers. Some of you can probably see where I am going with this, but I feel young and in touch with the world.

I think  a lot of this has got to do with my impending trip into late 20s, almost early 30s. To finish off just the other day I purchased the first new and unheard CD. It was In Camera by Arthur and Yu. Great sticky sweet pop fun is how I would describe it. I am glad to have discovered a new artist that  I can put on my ipod, it delights me when I hear one of their songs. They also appear to have a love of Neil Young, they dedicate a song to him.

As someone once said, to be young is to be free.

An accidental death and purposeful resurrection of an opus

It has been quite a while since I wrote anything. A number of things are responsible for this lull in verbal musings. First, i put it down to losing 'my voice'. I have been told in the early and newborn stages of blog development, it is  necessary for the author to find his 'voice' and let it grow and develop, to nurture it till it becomes a natural extension of the person. In the days and weeks since my last post, I feel I have been struggling to find 'my voice', I got bloggers block if you will. I still do not feel I have found that elusive 'voice' but at least  I have took the time to write something.

A second reason for my lack of product, is I have been pretty busy with various aspects of work and socialising. I attended the great and wonderful gathering of  electric picnic. That is worth a blog in itself, and in time it will get one.  All I will say is I loved Modest Mouse. Wow that was the highlight of the weekend.

But back to the 'voice'. It will take me some time to find it. Until then I will stumble from topic to topic and sway from style to style. I look around me and I see other blogs and they are coherent and cohesive with a definite style and topic in each post. This is what I strive for. 

So hello to all, and till the next time

bon voyage

An Evening with the Glimmer Twins

So I braved the elderly and the rain and attended this years concert in the small country castle in Slane, Co. Meath. The day was over cast, and the ground muddy. I did not know what to expect when I entered those gates at Slane Castle. My first site I thought was a multistory car park in the middle of a field surrounded by tiered seating. My mind could not imagine or comprehend the enormity of this so-called stage. It was reminiscent  of U2's Popmart Stage, but this was on a far greater scale.

The support acts themselves were not going to light my fire. I love The Charlatans, but they did not have long enough to put in a proper show, the looked lost on the vast stage. The crowd were a real mix match, coupled with the elderly who remember The Rolling Stones playing Slane 25 years ago were the young who were barely alive or not even thought of then. The atmosphere was electric with anticipation. I was feeling tired and sore from the trek through the streets of Slane and the mud of the field, but at 8pm i felt this wave of energy rush from my mud soaked shoes up through my legs to my damp head of hair. I was alive and knew I was in for a show of a lifetime.

I am not too knowledgeable of the Stones back catalogue, I know the hits and own a number of their albums, 'Let it Bleed' and 'Exile on Main St'. I knew they play mostly the hits and the best known songs, so I was not to worried of being left standing there, while the crowd are jumping and cheering to some obscure b-side from their second single off their third album (what ever that may be, answers on a post card). They are real showman, and they put in a high energy show for the best part of 2 hours. I was blown away. It is impossible to describe the show, but I shall try. They had fire works, explosions, giant screens showing Jagger strut and prowl the stage like the king of the lions. They had Richards pouting and throwing guitar shapes, you had Woods looking like he was drinking up the atmosphere (he is t-total now, so he needs a new tipple), and Watts all the time keeping the beat.

1 hour in to the show you had the roadies push Charlie Watts Drum Cage (best description) out towards the front of the stage, then all of a sudden the stage lifts itself up off and starts to move towards the centre of the big natural arena, while the Stones are playing, it truely is one of the most amazing things I have seen. However when they stayed out there for a further 3 songs, I felt left out. I should have mentioned that I was front row central almost, so to only see the back of them playing to the rest of the 800000 masses was frustrating. Nonetheless they returned to centre stage and played a further few numbers. 

All in all, this is one of my greatest experiences, they may not have the youth, they may not have any recent hits or quality new material, but you can not argue that they put of an extravagant show and they give it their all. An evening very well spent in my opinion.

Now Gimme Shelter

Indian summers and the typing tutor...

Ok so I have been asked to edit one of my previous posts cause it was too negative. I can accept that. So I promise to be more positive and not use this blog to moan. Instead I shall champion the issues, the music and the experiences I recommend to all and sundry. That is my new mission statement. Please feel free to give me a slap on the wrist if I am being too negative.

How do you like the above picture. A friend of mine suggested that when ever you want to imagine what a statement or phrase looks like, type it into google images, and then compare your image in your mind with the image(s) that are returned. You will be surprised what you came be face with. 

I am learning how to type properly. So I have downloaded a typing tutor. It is a slick program, but it is very hard getting out of the old habits of one fingered typing. My fingers keep getting in a twist. Fingers crossed I shall master proper typing. 

Checking out

D

A picture is worth a thousand words

I am going to try and add images to my blogs now for the 3rd time. I hope it is true to say thats it 3rd time lucky. Fingers crossed. Woo Hoo it is working.

Check out my arty picture of a carton of milk. 

Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution

I'm listening to AC/DC 'Back in Black', hence the blog title. But I think it is quite apt. I'm due to head off to Slane next weekend (unless I can offload my tickets) to see the possibly the oldest band ever, The Rolling Stones. I remember the rumors that were going round that AC/DC might be playing the Slane Slot this year. Now that would have been a kick ass gig. Now I am sure the Stones will be ace, but the line up does not wow me. When compared to the acts they have used in the past to support them, this line up is poor. Sure I like The Charlatans but the rest of the line up don't light my fire. 

Meanwhile on the box, Sunderland seem to be holding their own, it is early in the season but they look comfortable.  Go on Keano, kick some premiership ass.

till the next time

 

Hey why can't I upload images to this, what is going wrong?

It all starts from here!

Every blogger must start somewhere, here is where I must begin. I've yet to decide what I will write about, what this blog will be dedicated to, or even if I have anything to say at all. I like the idea of writing about my music, the stuff I like, the stuff I hate, and the stuff I've just discovered. 

Another idea is to tell who ever in the world about my random ramblings and musings. I guess I will just have to keep writing and you will have to stay tuned and keep reading to find out what this blog turns into. 

Peace out

I'm currently watching the Sunderland - Tottenham game on Sky Sports 1