I've finally updated my CD collection section, it's getting near to the end of the year and since I'm expecting the usual draught of good CDs before the end of the year whilst all the record shops are packed to the rafters with crappy cash in compilations I can't see myself buying anymore this year. So I'm going to have to think of my top ten CDs of the year soon, and maybe compile a scary list of CDs to show why my credit card bill is so big.



In other news I went to see The Incredibles tonight. It's got to be one of my favourite films of the year, I was expecting a reasonably amusing super hero piss-take, but was pleasantly surprised to watch something a lot more grown-up. Sure, the superhero jokes are still there, but so is some fantatsic artwork and design, especially in some of the early scenes with Mr Incedible at his day time job. It's a film that does flashy effects only when it needs to, and it doesn't skip on great characterisation and an equally strong storyline, unlike certain other CGI films I could mention *cough* Shark Tale *cough*.

So, what have I been up to this weekend? Well: plenty of drinking, watched the Aussies beat us twice (meh...), and I finally got round to completing Halo 2. Fantastic game, but with a really bad ending - well, when I say bad ending what I really mean is it just doesn't really have one. Still at least I should now have time to go back to the vast amount of games I've been neglecting (Paper Mario, San Andreas and Fable spring to mind), that is until my Nintendo DS turns up. It should be here in the next couple of weeks, quite looking forward to getting my grubby mitts on it.

Here's something a little bit more cultured than the usual videos that no doubt clog up your inbox, a short, slightly subversive, film using an Amon Tobin song as a soundtrack. I think it's great; it's just the right length to satisfy my increasingly short attention span, shows impecable taste in music, and contains some interestingly creepy imagery. The most impressive thing is that it's apparently a student project and not just some design agency letting off a bit of steam...

I feel the need to apologise for my behaviour last night...

I must be getting old - not only am I sober on a Friday night, but at the cinema I got all grumpy and told a young whipper-snapper to 'Shut the fuck up' as he was making too much noise.



Anyway I went to see the new version of The Grudge tonight, I'd describe it as spooky rather than scary. Not too bad though...

Some Music:



A new Jesu song, Tired of Me, has turned up online. It features some of the slowest drumming you'll ever hear, 4 maybe even 5 bpm I reckon, it's also one of the most gorgeous songs I've heard this year, just oozing depth both emotionally and sonically speaking - I desperately need the album.



gabba / POD seems to have got back to providing downloads with some style, they have posted a remix by some chap called Superpitcher which needs to be described as excellent. If you like Slam you'll like this, just noticed his album got 8.5 on Pitchfork, must - investigate - further.



Finally a couple of new M83 tracks have turned up here, the track called 'A Guitar and a Heart' is worth spending some serious quality time with.

I've had a couple of emails from people recently who have stumbled on my site due to my fairly broad taste in music, and who have complimented me on my selection of CDs...



I'd feel the need to apologise to those people, I'm sorry - I went to see Keane tonight.



I could get all vicious and go on about how I find them a horrible band, who pretty much just have one tune and a singer who kept doing that 'look at me I'm Jesus' pose, but frankly I had fun. Since they are a band without too many ideas its easy to make up your own lyrics to most of there songs. Also there name does lead to the crowd shouting "Keano! Keano!" occasionally, to which I couldn't resist adding the odd shout of "Yid Army!".

Ol' Dirty Bastard is dead? Shit... Actually I'm amazed he lasted as long as he did when you consider his *ahem* colourful lifestyle.



Ended up going out last night even though I wasn't planning to, it was mainly because I didn't want to spend the whole evening listening to a certain Yiddos' whining. Hitting town after 9 did demand some serious speed drinking but I think I managed it though as I've got no idea how I got home. Some pictures of the evening survived over here.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you: The McHottie!

Phil, it's your liver again. Remember last week when I asked you to calm down on the boozing front? Well I don't think that spending half the evening at a Beer Festival and the rest of the night downing vodkas was a particularly good start was it?

Well the lights are down low, the wine is open it must be that special time of year - yep, Halo 2 is out. Oh my, it's good, I've been playing it pretty much full stop for about 4 hours and the only reason I've been having breaks is due to a severe case of videogame thumb. I'm dying to blab on about it but I'm going to be good and keep my gob shut so I don't spoil it for anyone. Still I will say there is one bit in the game where you get this strangely intruiging cut scene, which then oh my god it's carrying on, and I'm playing it... and! and!



OK, enough about Halo. I've been quiet this week due to work sucking ass hard! Having to deal with four different people from one client hassling me constantly is getting on my nerves, shut up people!



Evenings have been taken up with the new Grand Theft Auto game, I'm coming to the slightly controversial decision that I don't like it as much as Vice City. OK technically it's much better, but it's just missing something - I can't quite put my finger on it; maybe I'm missing the 80's nostalgia, maybe it's the fact that the language is just a little too cliched, or maybe it's just not as funny as the last one. I'm not saying that I don't enjoy it, just that I'm not enjoying it as much as I thought I would.



Anyway, I'll try to post a bit more often in the next few days. I've got a bunch of very interesting CDs to tell you about soon, and it is the legendary Woking Beer Festival tomorrow which should produce a few interesting pictures...

getting near to the end of the year...



The Soft Pink Truth - Do You Want New Wave or Do You Want the Soft Pink Truth?

The Soft Pink Truth is actually half of Matmos, the band who tend to be remembered for sampling plastic surgery operations and for being Bjork's backing band, Matmos can at times be very conceptual whereas The Soft Pink Truth are slightly more interested in booty shaking it would seem. Not that there isn't a concept that binds this album together, there is - basically it's an album of cover versions of old punk/hardcore tracks done in a funky disco-esque way. I have to admit to not being very familiar with most of the songs here, but the cheesy garage version of Minor Threat's Out of Step made me grin. This is a fun album, sort of a submersive getting ready to go out clubbing with a bunch of girls in glittery make up kind of way.



Shockout Volume 1

This is from Tigerbeat6's ragga/dancehalll off shoot hence is full of all the usual subjects such as The Bug, DJ /rupture, Kid606. In some ways it's similar to the Two Cultures Clash I got a while a go in that it's mainly Western producers working with 'proper' dancehall MCs. However this time it works much better since the gloves seem to be off on this CD, the producers pussy foot around instead laying down some rough dirty beats, and the MCs aren't exactly holding back either. It's not all violence though, the compilation is bookended by a couple of sweet Dub numbers.



Converge - You Fail Me

This got a good write up on Brainwashed.com, and they have connections with Old Man Gloom and Isis so I thought I'd give them a go. The CD starts off innocently enough with a fairly standard quiet intro before heading off into Dischord-esque hardcore. It's not long though before things start getting a lot more angry, verging into grindcore territory at times. Couple of interesting songs in the middle of the CD, the title track contains some of the most intense uses of an electric guitar you'll hear this year. The next song does a good job too by providing a calmer gentler counterpoint to the previous songs fury. A loud noisy CD, not recommended for anyone who relishes too many quiet moments.



Kid606/Cex - Oh so now you fuckers wanna dance!

You have to love that title! OK, so the Shockout CD was underground producers doing dancehall, this one is a couple of underground producers getting down and dirty for some booty shaking mixes. Suprisingly the Kid produces the most straightforward mix; Busta Rhymes, Jay-Z rub shoulders with Autechre and Kid606's own beats. It's great fun, just stupid dance music to shake your ass to, and at a pleasantly non-manic pace. Cex get's a bit more technical, more chopping up of beats and processed vocals still good fun though. Highly recommended for the gym...



Sophia - Collections:One

A collection of odds and sods from the criminally over-looked career of Sophia, to pay for there string quartet to go on tour with the rest of the band. I've mentioned this band before so I won't go into there history, suffice to say that this is an essential purchase to any fans of the band. It mixes older material with newer stuff that was deemed a bit too experimental for People are like Seasons (or which may have been recorded afterwards). A couple of the tunes are bit iffy, the cover of You Only Tell You Love When Your Drunk doesn't really work for me ,even though the sentiment does - and If You Want A Home just doesn't seem finished to me. However, besides those two blips the rest of the album is excellent and gives me hope that the next Sophia album could be a bit special. I've been listening to the song Easy (If you want me) pretty much constantly since I've got it, and the next song is absolutely classic Sophia which reminds me why I love this band so much. Anyway, this one may or may not get a proper release, in the mean time you can order it here.



The Wire Tapper 12

More pretensious nonsense from The Wire ;-). In all seriousness I haven't really listened to this enough to form an opinion, but if I don't write something here this post will never get published!

Hey Phil! This is your liver speaking, can you do me a favour and calm down on the drinking please! And I think your lungs would like a word with you at some point about the whole smoking situation...

Listen to this tune by The Swans. It's miserable, I'm miserable (because of work fact fans), and I intend to bring you all down with me!

So I finally sat down and watched Casshern tonight. Hmmm, what to say? Well: it's overblown, confusing, it's far too long and it has strange dialogue, but it looks amazing - one of the nicest looking films you will ever see. It is basically a Final Fantasy game in cinematic form, the trouble is with the Final Fantasy games there is the whole 'game' bit between the cinematic moments to keep you interested, something sorely lacking from this film. Hey Ho, you live and learn...



In other cinematic news, if you have been anywhere near a Starwars.com account you may be aware of a certain trailer for a certain new Star Wars film. Darth Phil thoroughly approves of the bit with Darth Sidious going all medieval on someone's ass.



Good to see the more mature Dark Lord of the Sith being shown some respect.

I've just got back from seeing the Scissor Sisters who I have to say are an excellent live band (crap pictures of them live are here), not normally the thing I go to see but I'm glad I decided to go along. Much dancing was done, which is always a good thing, and I think I fell for Ana Matronic a bit she's a woman after my own heart, ie very filthy and knows how to flounce around with a feather boa properly...

There is a big election today, I could be all dismissive and say I don't care about it as it's not my Country whose having the election, but I do. I don't want that psychotic, war-mongering, religious nut-job George Bush in charge of what is probably the world's largest supply of weaponary for another four years. Who knows when he'll get bored with the Middle East and go for Europe?



Yeah yeah I hear you cry, stop over-reacting Phil... Seriously though, he is clearly insane, the way he laughs in some of his speeches, and that whole if you're not with us you're against us speech was just plain wrong. So, if any American folks wander in here today (unlikely I know, but I'm sure my log files show some Colonials have visited at some point) do the decent thing and vote him out.