Friday, October 31, 2003
Saturday, October 25, 2003
I'm sure I've said this before, but I'll say it again: After millions of years of evolution the human race became the dominant species mainly because of the opposable thumb, this allowed human's hands to manipulate our surroundings in unprecedented ways, to create tools, to build shelters, eventually to create stunning works of art... hell, we even got a few men up to the moon. In my opinion because of our hands...
So why is the biggest spectator sport in this country and probably the world based around kicking a glorified pigs stomach around a field? It's fucking stupid.
...this mini rant has nothing to do with Leicester wasting (well I say wasting, I actually mean shitting all over) a three goal lead against Wolves today, no sirree!
Grr.
Anyway, some soothing sounds and images are required. I recommend downloading the video to accompany one of Kid606's more ambient tunes from this site, it's rather lovely.
So why is the biggest spectator sport in this country and probably the world based around kicking a glorified pigs stomach around a field? It's fucking stupid.
...this mini rant has nothing to do with Leicester wasting (well I say wasting, I actually mean shitting all over) a three goal lead against Wolves today, no sirree!
Grr.
Anyway, some soothing sounds and images are required. I recommend downloading the video to accompany one of Kid606's more ambient tunes from this site, it's rather lovely.
Friday, October 24, 2003
As you may have gathered I went to see Mogwai play last night, now before I get to that could I just say one thing about the Astoria... £3.10 for a can of Carling! You're 'aving a laaaarf!!
Anyway, back to the show: I arrived late so only caught the last song of the support band, they didn't seem too bad - very mogwai-ish, but maybe lacking the subtlety. Mogwai themselves were obviously in one of there quiet-loud-quiet moods, with only a couple of full-on, heads-down, white-noise moments. In fact many of the songs started so quietly while half the crowd were cheering the other half were going "Shh!", although having said that my ears are ringing like mad at the moment.
I don't think it was as good as there Glastonbury appearence, my favourite song, Hunted by a Freak, came too early, and where was my favourite 20 minute instrumental Jewish Prayer? Still disappointments aside, a good show, if you want to see some pictures they are over here.
One weird thing, the bloke in front of me kept fainting. I thought that sort of thing only happened at Robbie Williams concerts.
On a completely unrelated note, I've been buying weird hip-hop again.
Anyway, back to the show: I arrived late so only caught the last song of the support band, they didn't seem too bad - very mogwai-ish, but maybe lacking the subtlety. Mogwai themselves were obviously in one of there quiet-loud-quiet moods, with only a couple of full-on, heads-down, white-noise moments. In fact many of the songs started so quietly while half the crowd were cheering the other half were going "Shh!", although having said that my ears are ringing like mad at the moment.
I don't think it was as good as there Glastonbury appearence, my favourite song, Hunted by a Freak, came too early, and where was my favourite 20 minute instrumental Jewish Prayer? Still disappointments aside, a good show, if you want to see some pictures they are over here.
One weird thing, the bloke in front of me kept fainting. I thought that sort of thing only happened at Robbie Williams concerts.
On a completely unrelated note, I've been buying weird hip-hop again.
Hip-Hop...
Non-Prophets - Hope
Solid, but some what, well... average? Not entirely sure why since half of this duo is Sage Francis (kind of Underground hip-hop's Henry Rollins), maybe because of the Anticon connection I was expecting something a little different.
Themselves - The No Music of Aiffs
Remix album where various Anticon releated artists have a go at remixing the last Themselves album. And they all remix it very well, somehow each applies there induvidual styles yet the album flows as a whole very nicely... maybe with the exception of the "what the fuck is that noise!" Hood remix.
Why? - The Early Whitney EP
Kind of a mini version of his last album, so whatever I said about that applies here...
Non-Prophets - Hope
Solid, but some what, well... average? Not entirely sure why since half of this duo is Sage Francis (kind of Underground hip-hop's Henry Rollins), maybe because of the Anticon connection I was expecting something a little different.
Themselves - The No Music of Aiffs
Remix album where various Anticon releated artists have a go at remixing the last Themselves album. And they all remix it very well, somehow each applies there induvidual styles yet the album flows as a whole very nicely... maybe with the exception of the "what the fuck is that noise!" Hood remix.
Why? - The Early Whitney EP
Kind of a mini version of his last album, so whatever I said about that applies here...
Thursday, October 23, 2003
Can someone sort me out with a new job please? I've had enough of this one. Something involving, dare I say it? Yes I'm going to: some job satisfaction. That would be nice...
Sunday, October 19, 2003
Saturday, October 18, 2003
OK, I'm back from Coventry in one piece - just! Some twat hit my car on the way back, not much damage, but it's still annoying since I've kept my motor in a reasonable state. What got me the most was the comment idiot boy gave me: "Oh, sorry I couldn't work out why you were braking". Now call me old fashioned, but when you are approaching a traffic island and have to give way to traffic from the right it's is traditional to FUCKING BRAKE!! Cunt...
Anyway now that I've got that off my chest back to the site. I've had a go at updating pretty much everything on the site; I could do with some interesting questions for the info section, but my inspiration has deserted me. The game and CD schedules are up to date, the game one is a fucking nightmare - up until Christmas I'm on about a two game a week habit (I swear this videogame hobby of mine is worse than having a crack addiction); the CD one is better, looking forward to the Kid606 album in a few weeks.
I've currently got a bunch of Anticon CDs to listen to, but I've found time to update the CD review page to let you know all about the newAfghan Whigs Twilight Singers CD.
If you are after pictures there are a couple of new sets: one from last night and a work colleague's leaving drinks, the other is of David Blaine. I though I'd make an effort to see him, so I dragged Johnboy along with the intention of spending the afternoon hurling abuse at Box Boy - didn't work out in the end, too many people around. Anyway, we came, we saw, we watched him stand up, we watched him change his top and we watched him sit down... woo bleeding hoo...
So, that's all I can be arsed to type. I'll leave you with some links:
Here's the venue where I'll be seeing a band called Sophia play in November, I think I can safely say it's the poshest one I've ever seen - check out the chandeliers! bling blingm motherfucker!
Here's a scary article about one of the American General's in Iraq, obviously not all religious fanatics are Islamic.
Here's some info on a new drug which could mean I could ditch sleeping... Well, I found it interesting.
And finally, some comedy.
Anyway now that I've got that off my chest back to the site. I've had a go at updating pretty much everything on the site; I could do with some interesting questions for the info section, but my inspiration has deserted me. The game and CD schedules are up to date, the game one is a fucking nightmare - up until Christmas I'm on about a two game a week habit (I swear this videogame hobby of mine is worse than having a crack addiction); the CD one is better, looking forward to the Kid606 album in a few weeks.
I've currently got a bunch of Anticon CDs to listen to, but I've found time to update the CD review page to let you know all about the new
If you are after pictures there are a couple of new sets: one from last night and a work colleague's leaving drinks, the other is of David Blaine. I though I'd make an effort to see him, so I dragged Johnboy along with the intention of spending the afternoon hurling abuse at Box Boy - didn't work out in the end, too many people around. Anyway, we came, we saw, we watched him stand up, we watched him change his top and we watched him sit down... woo bleeding hoo...
So, that's all I can be arsed to type. I'll leave you with some links:
Here's the venue where I'll be seeing a band called Sophia play in November, I think I can safely say it's the poshest one I've ever seen - check out the chandeliers! bling blingm motherfucker!
Here's a scary article about one of the American General's in Iraq, obviously not all religious fanatics are Islamic.
Here's some info on a new drug which could mean I could ditch sleeping... Well, I found it interesting.
And finally, some comedy.
Not the Afghan Whigs, oh no...
The Twilight Singers - Blackberry Belle
So let me get this one right: Greg Dulli, of Afghan Whigs fame, has this new band called The Twilight Singers, he's already released one album called Twilight as them. That album was produced by the electronic group Fila Brazilia, the lead vocal duties were split between 3 or 4 vocalists, and had less guitars than the Whigs. On this new Afghan Whigs album Dulli has ditched Fila Brazilia, and the other vocalists, and has put the guitars back... Hold On! This is basically a new Afghan Whigs album, as such should be treated with awe and respect. I've always been a fan of Dulli's work with his previous band, I don't think there is anyone else around who can make the life of a smooth bad assed mother fucker so... touching. The last song is especially good, a duet with Mark Lanegan - it rocks like a bastard, but at the same time is a bit country - very nice.
The Twilight Singers - Blackberry Belle
So let me get this one right: Greg Dulli, of Afghan Whigs fame, has this new band called The Twilight Singers, he's already released one album called Twilight as them. That album was produced by the electronic group Fila Brazilia, the lead vocal duties were split between 3 or 4 vocalists, and had less guitars than the Whigs. On this new Afghan Whigs album Dulli has ditched Fila Brazilia, and the other vocalists, and has put the guitars back... Hold On! This is basically a new Afghan Whigs album, as such should be treated with awe and respect. I've always been a fan of Dulli's work with his previous band, I don't think there is anyone else around who can make the life of a smooth bad assed mother fucker so... touching. The last song is especially good, a duet with Mark Lanegan - it rocks like a bastard, but at the same time is a bit country - very nice.
Monday, October 13, 2003
Off to Cov for the rest of the week (...oh joy). Amuse yourself with some crappy washed out pictures in the meantime
Friday, October 10, 2003
Here's a website to keep you occupied on a slow Friday Afternoon: metaphilm.com. The article about how Calvin and Hobbes fits in with Fight Club is particularly enlightening.
Sunday, October 5, 2003
Saturday, October 4, 2003
I seem to be getting CD's on a daily basis at the moment, three new ones today from Matmos, Jah Wobble and Kid Koala - and I've somehow found time amongst today's zany exploits to post some thoughts on them (they are all pretty good by the way).
No drunken pictures this week I'm afraid due to me being sensible with my cold and not drinking, but if you so wish you can gaze in awe at my new l33t top, witness my victorious erm... victory in Advance Wars 2 on the GBA (incidently, I'm starting to slightly fall in love with Nell who does the tutorials... it's her sexy Stewardess outfit and all her talk about tanks that does it for me!), and see me drink Orange Juice - Heavy Metal or what!
Back to today's zany exploits: buying a new matress. No, don't go! It get's better, honest!
So, basically my old futon matress was getting to the stage where it was only marginally more comfortable than sleeping on the floor - I couldn't be arsed with ordering one, and having to wait around and organise time off work to handle the delivery. So off I went to Croydon's Ikea to pick up a nice new shiny one without all the wainting around...
Upon arrival there I had a minor revelation: Ikea is basically hell on Earth. For one thing, I swear I was the only single person there! The whole place was full of content (translation: fucking annoying) 20-something couples, generally with child (in or out of the womb, that seems to be optional), who all appear to be unable to walk for more than 3 seconds without stopping and going ooh!, and obviously judging the almost 30-year old, painfully single me for not being in a couple! OK, maybe that's just me being paranoid, or maybe it was the infernal machination of the damned torturing my immortal soul!
Then there is the whole having to walk constantly round in circles, sod Dante's Inferno , if you want a proper description of the geography of Hell go to Ikea
And when you do finally find the warehouse bit, where the hell are the trolley's? Queue me wandering up and down aisles folornly looking for a trolley, until I finally turned around to the entrance I came in to see the worlds biggest arrow next to the worlds biggest version of the word 'Trolley' pointing towards the evil little fuckers. Clearly the arrow was a cunning way of mocking me by saying "theyr'e over here fuckwit".
And then there are the queues... my god they are long. And all populated by screaming kids, there may have also been some parents but I didn't notice them due to the constant screeching of hell spawn.
Anyway, I escaped - and I now get to sleep on something approaching soft, so it's not all eternal damnation... which is nice.
No drunken pictures this week I'm afraid due to me being sensible with my cold and not drinking, but if you so wish you can gaze in awe at my new l33t top, witness my victorious erm... victory in Advance Wars 2 on the GBA (incidently, I'm starting to slightly fall in love with Nell who does the tutorials... it's her sexy Stewardess outfit and all her talk about tanks that does it for me!), and see me drink Orange Juice - Heavy Metal or what!
Back to today's zany exploits: buying a new matress. No, don't go! It get's better, honest!
So, basically my old futon matress was getting to the stage where it was only marginally more comfortable than sleeping on the floor - I couldn't be arsed with ordering one, and having to wait around and organise time off work to handle the delivery. So off I went to Croydon's Ikea to pick up a nice new shiny one without all the wainting around...
Upon arrival there I had a minor revelation: Ikea is basically hell on Earth. For one thing, I swear I was the only single person there! The whole place was full of content (translation: fucking annoying) 20-something couples, generally with child (in or out of the womb, that seems to be optional), who all appear to be unable to walk for more than 3 seconds without stopping and going ooh!, and obviously judging the almost 30-year old, painfully single me for not being in a couple! OK, maybe that's just me being paranoid, or maybe it was the infernal machination of the damned torturing my immortal soul!
Then there is the whole having to walk constantly round in circles, sod Dante's Inferno , if you want a proper description of the geography of Hell go to Ikea
And when you do finally find the warehouse bit, where the hell are the trolley's? Queue me wandering up and down aisles folornly looking for a trolley, until I finally turned around to the entrance I came in to see the worlds biggest arrow next to the worlds biggest version of the word 'Trolley' pointing towards the evil little fuckers. Clearly the arrow was a cunning way of mocking me by saying "theyr'e over here fuckwit".
And then there are the queues... my god they are long. And all populated by screaming kids, there may have also been some parents but I didn't notice them due to the constant screeching of hell spawn.
Anyway, I escaped - and I now get to sleep on something approaching soft, so it's not all eternal damnation... which is nice.
Saturday's Delivery...
Kid Koala - Some Of My Best Friends Are DJs
The best word I can come up with to describe this CD is charming. The fact that it comes with a comic (well, CD inlay with a comic strip, but it's the thought that counts) and a cut out and keep chess set adds to this, you don't get that with Kazaa! Musically we're in New Orleans but with a hint of Jazz and Ska, solo instruments are skillfully scratched via the kids turntables, never anything too fancy, always just enough to make you go 'eh? that's not right". And it's nice and short!
Jah Wobble & Deep Space - Five Beat
The artists name here is a damn filthy lie! It should be Jah Wobble and Philip Jeck, I bought it for the latter's involvement, I've mentioned him before (check the archive, the cd is called Stoke), basically he produces amazing minimalistic ambient music with a few old record players, a couple of guitar FX pedals and a bunch of obscure vinyl LPs with stickers on them to produce loops! I was a bit wary about how is gentle approach to music would work with Wobbles beat heavy dub workouts, but I need not have feared - it works very well. What you get here is 6 very long songs of ambient dub, it sounds like it's all been recorded live without any overdubs. Even with the fact that most of the songs pass the 10 minute mark using basically a single bass line it never gets boring.
Matmos - The Civil War
On one hand Matmos are a very left-field electronica group who have had a career producing CDs where they restrict themselves to a limited approach to sampling (there last one used samples produced from plastic surgery operations - squelchy!). On the other hand they are Bjorks live backing band, so they have the potential to break out into the wider electronica scene. I'm not sure they will with this CD which is a strange mix of Medieval folk music and electronica - it also has a song constructed entirely by sampling a rabbit's pelt. Just don't ask me how.
Kid Koala - Some Of My Best Friends Are DJs
The best word I can come up with to describe this CD is charming. The fact that it comes with a comic (well, CD inlay with a comic strip, but it's the thought that counts) and a cut out and keep chess set adds to this, you don't get that with Kazaa! Musically we're in New Orleans but with a hint of Jazz and Ska, solo instruments are skillfully scratched via the kids turntables, never anything too fancy, always just enough to make you go 'eh? that's not right". And it's nice and short!
Jah Wobble & Deep Space - Five Beat
The artists name here is a damn filthy lie! It should be Jah Wobble and Philip Jeck, I bought it for the latter's involvement, I've mentioned him before (check the archive, the cd is called Stoke), basically he produces amazing minimalistic ambient music with a few old record players, a couple of guitar FX pedals and a bunch of obscure vinyl LPs with stickers on them to produce loops! I was a bit wary about how is gentle approach to music would work with Wobbles beat heavy dub workouts, but I need not have feared - it works very well. What you get here is 6 very long songs of ambient dub, it sounds like it's all been recorded live without any overdubs. Even with the fact that most of the songs pass the 10 minute mark using basically a single bass line it never gets boring.
Matmos - The Civil War
On one hand Matmos are a very left-field electronica group who have had a career producing CDs where they restrict themselves to a limited approach to sampling (there last one used samples produced from plastic surgery operations - squelchy!). On the other hand they are Bjorks live backing band, so they have the potential to break out into the wider electronica scene. I'm not sure they will with this CD which is a strange mix of Medieval folk music and electronica - it also has a song constructed entirely by sampling a rabbit's pelt. Just don't ask me how.
Friday, October 3, 2003
The B3ta newsletter is a good one this week. My top choices: the bear on a trampoline, and a very clever version of Van Halen's Jump video using graphics from MAME. And this is really funny
I've updated various dull and boring lists, and got bored of trying to write CD reviews. That's the fun-filled rock'n'roll lifestyle I lead for you...
I'm toying with the idea of an alcohol free weekend, which just plain scares me, not only that - maybe even a proper full on redesign of "chez site de darth phil".
And, it may just be Knights Of The Old Republic (top, top game) on the XBox rekindling my interest in the force, but I'm seriously considering the purchase of one of these bad boyz.
Oh, and B3ta have finally got round to doing ninjas... about bleeding time!
I'm toying with the idea of an alcohol free weekend, which just plain scares me, not only that - maybe even a proper full on redesign of "chez site de darth phil".
And, it may just be Knights Of The Old Republic (top, top game) on the XBox rekindling my interest in the force, but I'm seriously considering the purchase of one of these bad boyz.
Oh, and B3ta have finally got round to doing ninjas... about bleeding time!
aargh... can't really be arsed!
U.N.K.L.E. - Never, Never, Land
Less patchy than the last proper album, which is kind of a shame - I always liked the whole eclectic nature of UNKLE. Still some good stuff though, Eye for and Eye and the sinister sounding Safe In Mind are paricularly good.
Kill Bill Vol.1
Soundtrack to the new Tarantino flick, some funk, some soul, some RZA and a bit of full on Kung Fu action film sountracking... As with his other soundtracks put together very well.
The Herbaliser - Solid Steel
Pretty much as expected: solid, cinematic hip hop - not as good as the DJ Food effort!
Desert Sessions 9 & 10
Josse Hommes (?) and Polly Harvey go to the desert, invite a bunch of mates and knock out a fair few mighty fine Rawk Toons! If you like Queens Of The Stone Age it will be physically impossible to dislike this CD.
Dizzee Rascal - Boy In Da Corner
Deserving winner of the Mercury Music Prize. It's not Garage, it's more hip-hop. His MC-ing can come across as a younger, cleaner Ol Dirty Bastard, but the beats are like nothing I've heard - pretty brutal! Which is good. I like it, it deserves a listen
Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It In People
How the hell do I describe this? They are sort of an indie collective, Mogwai with more vocals and less gloom? But sometimes they remind me of Interpol, then they go off on a Dinosaur Jr trip, other times it all gets almost... well, I don't know. Damn fine album though
U.N.K.L.E. - Never, Never, Land
Less patchy than the last proper album, which is kind of a shame - I always liked the whole eclectic nature of UNKLE. Still some good stuff though, Eye for and Eye and the sinister sounding Safe In Mind are paricularly good.
Kill Bill Vol.1
Soundtrack to the new Tarantino flick, some funk, some soul, some RZA and a bit of full on Kung Fu action film sountracking... As with his other soundtracks put together very well.
The Herbaliser - Solid Steel
Pretty much as expected: solid, cinematic hip hop - not as good as the DJ Food effort!
Desert Sessions 9 & 10
Josse Hommes (?) and Polly Harvey go to the desert, invite a bunch of mates and knock out a fair few mighty fine Rawk Toons! If you like Queens Of The Stone Age it will be physically impossible to dislike this CD.
Dizzee Rascal - Boy In Da Corner
Deserving winner of the Mercury Music Prize. It's not Garage, it's more hip-hop. His MC-ing can come across as a younger, cleaner Ol Dirty Bastard, but the beats are like nothing I've heard - pretty brutal! Which is good. I like it, it deserves a listen
Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It In People
How the hell do I describe this? They are sort of an indie collective, Mogwai with more vocals and less gloom? But sometimes they remind me of Interpol, then they go off on a Dinosaur Jr trip, other times it all gets almost... well, I don't know. Damn fine album though
Wednesday, October 1, 2003
...still ill. And intending to milk it for the forseable future.
CD's seem to be arriving on a daily basis, and I'm struggling to come up with any meaningful comments about them, or to keep my schedule up to date.
I finally got round to buying the Dizzee Rascal CD, in case your memory is failing (my advice is lay off the Special Brew - ho ho) this won the Mercury Music Prize - 8 tracks in and I'm of the opinion of "Well done Dizzee, and well done Mercury Judgey People for being brave enough to vote for it". This isn't a pretty CD, it's dirty, gritty, full of serious baaaaaaaasSSSS! , like The Streets album it is in no way garage, but I have to say I'm very impressed with it. Proper opinions will follow once I've given it (and the other 5 new CD's in my possession) some more time.
CD's seem to be arriving on a daily basis, and I'm struggling to come up with any meaningful comments about them, or to keep my schedule up to date.
I finally got round to buying the Dizzee Rascal CD, in case your memory is failing (my advice is lay off the Special Brew - ho ho) this won the Mercury Music Prize - 8 tracks in and I'm of the opinion of "Well done Dizzee, and well done Mercury Judgey People for being brave enough to vote for it". This isn't a pretty CD, it's dirty, gritty, full of serious baaaaaaaasSSSS! , like The Streets album it is in no way garage, but I have to say I'm very impressed with it. Proper opinions will follow once I've given it (and the other 5 new CD's in my possession) some more time.
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