Well that's Christmas done, the stash currently contains a new coffee machine with lots of bells and whistles, the Minipops book, Spiderman 2 DVD (not sure why I don't already own that one) and various other bits and bobs generally to make me smell nicer.
I've actually been back since Tuesday night but have been sidetracked by Paper Mario on my Gamecube (fantastic game which has great fun messing with traditional RPG conventions, almost done it I think), and buying even more CDs. Anyway I've now updated the site, there are some pictures of Cats and stuff to look at here, and some really crappy reviews of CDs to read here, and I've dumped the bookmarks section for a del.icio.us link.
Friday, December 31, 2004
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
pre-christmas CDs
Jesu - Jesu
I've been waiting for this CD for quite some time, over three years to be more precise, that being the time since Justin Broadrick's previous band, Godflesh, last release. I have to hold my hands up here and declare myself a completely obsessive Godflesh fan, so this is going to be a very biased opinion. Jesu is a very ambitious project; layers of guitars, keyboards and vocals are mixed together to produce something almost religious in nature. This point is hammered home with titles such as Your Path to Divinity, Walk on Water and Guardian Angel. Not to say the lyrical theme is all religious, from the lyrics I can make out and the way they are delivered it's more spiritual in nature, in fact I've read one review describing it as a 'Spiritual Awakening'. As over the top as that sounds, it's pretty near the mark to me...
Subtle - Earthsick
A collection of Subtle's earlier 'season' EPs. Good stuff like the other Subtle album I bought this year, it's basically a more organic instrument driven version of the sort of things cLOUDDEAD do (not suprising as they share common members of Dose One and Jel). It tails off a bit to the end though with instrumental improvised sounding tracks which frankly are a little dull, but if you ignore these it's a good album.
Jesu - Jesu
I've been waiting for this CD for quite some time, over three years to be more precise, that being the time since Justin Broadrick's previous band, Godflesh, last release. I have to hold my hands up here and declare myself a completely obsessive Godflesh fan, so this is going to be a very biased opinion. Jesu is a very ambitious project; layers of guitars, keyboards and vocals are mixed together to produce something almost religious in nature. This point is hammered home with titles such as Your Path to Divinity, Walk on Water and Guardian Angel. Not to say the lyrical theme is all religious, from the lyrics I can make out and the way they are delivered it's more spiritual in nature, in fact I've read one review describing it as a 'Spiritual Awakening'. As over the top as that sounds, it's pretty near the mark to me...
Subtle - Earthsick
A collection of Subtle's earlier 'season' EPs. Good stuff like the other Subtle album I bought this year, it's basically a more organic instrument driven version of the sort of things cLOUDDEAD do (not suprising as they share common members of Dose One and Jel). It tails off a bit to the end though with instrumental improvised sounding tracks which frankly are a little dull, but if you ignore these it's a good album.
Thursday, December 23, 2004
Tuesday, December 21, 2004
Sunday, December 19, 2004
No pictures this weekend I'm afraid, too busy christmas shopping it seems...
Anyway, it's getting near to the end of the year so I'm almost ready to make my list of top ten CDs of the year. Almost, but not quite as I still have one in the post which I'm pretty sure could get into the top ten. In the mean time here is a scary list of CDs which I've bought this year, no wonder my credit card bill never goes down:
!!! - Louden Up Now
!!!/Out Hud - "Lab Remix Series Vol. 2" Split EP
2XH vs HHR: Where is my robotic boot?
Alias - Eyes Closed EP
Alias - Muted
Amen - California's Bleeding
Amon Tobin - Solid Steel
Andrew Broder - Modern Hits EP
Andrew Broder - More Modern Hits
Anticon Label Sampler: 1999-2004
Arthur Russell - Calling out of Context
Arthur Russell - The World of Arthur Russell
Auf der Maur - Auf der Maur
Autechre & The Hafler Trio - ae3o&h3ae
Basement Jaxx - Kish Kash
Black Dice - Miles of Smiles
Black Eyes - Cough
Blink 182 - I Miss You
Blockhead - Music By Cavelight
Boom Bip & Dose One - Circle
Boredoms - Seadrum/House of Sun
Broken Social Scene - Beehives
cLOUDDEAD - Dead Dogs Two
cLOUDDEAD - Ten
Converge - You Fail Me
Craig Armstrong - Piano Works
Curve - The Way of Curve
Definitive Jux Presents III
Devendra Banhart - Nino Rojo
Devendra Banhart - Rejoicing in the Hands
DJ /rupture - 58.46 Radio Mix
DJ /rupture - Special Gunpowder
DJ Signify - Sleep No More
DJ Spooky - rhythm Science
Domino 04
Donkey Konga Soundtrack
Donna Summer - This Needs to Be Your Style
Donna Summer vs Ove Naxx
Einsturzende Neubauten - Perpetuum Mobile
El-P - Collecting the Kid
El-P - High Water
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Exploratory Music From Portugal 04
Faust vs Dalek - Derbe Respect
Fennesz - Live in Japan
Fennesz - Venice
Four Tet - My Angel Rocks Back And Forth
Fugazi - Repeater + 3 Songs
Godspeed You Black Emperor! - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven
Good Night Music To Sleep By
Gravenhurst - Flashlight Sessions
Grime
Hope of the States - The Lost Riots
Infinite Livez - Bush Meat
Isis - 09.23.03
Isis - Mosquito Control EP
Isis - Oceanic Remixes/Reinterpretations
Isis - SGNL>05
Jackie O MotherFucker - Wow / The Magick Fire Music
Jah Wobble - I Could Have Been A Contender
Jesu - Heartache
Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World - Futures
Kevin Drumm - Sheer Hellish Miasma
Kid606 - Who Still Kill Sound?
Kid606/Cex - Oh so now you fuckers wanna dance!
King Geedorah - Take Me To Your Leader
Knifehandchop - How I Left You
Lolita Storm - Studio 666 Smack Addict Commandos / I Am Your Enemy
Lost Prophets - Start Something
Madvillain - Madvillainy
Manhunt Remixes
Mansun - Attack of the Grey Lantern
Mark Lanegan Band - Bubblegum
Massive Attack - Danny the Dog
Matmos - Rat Relocation Program
MDZ04
Michael Gira - I am singing to you from my room
Mike Ladd - Nostalgialator
Miss Kittin - I Com
Mr Scruff - Keep It Solid Steel
Murcof - Utopia
Murs - 3:16 The 9th Edition
New Japan Philharmonic - Smashing... live!
Odd Nosdam - No More Wig For Ohio
Old Man Gloom - Christmas
Out Hud - S.T.R.E.E.T. D.A.D.
OVe-NaXx - Bullets From Habikino City HxCx
Pale Horse - Gee That Ain't Swell
Pan Sonic - Kesto (234.48:4)
Part Chimp - Bring Back The Sound
Part Chimp - Chart Pimp
Passage - The Forcefield Kids
Paws Across The World 2003
Philip Jeck - 7
Philip Jeck - Surf
Probot
Rammellzee - Bi-Conicals of the Rammellzee
Rhythm & Sound with The Artists
Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine - Tuxicity
Richard X Presents His X-Factor Vol.1
RJD2 - Constant Elevation: The 'Say Word' Mix
RJD2 - Since We Last Spoke
Rock Action Presents Vol.1
Rough Trade Shops - Counter Culture 2003
Ry Cooder & Manuel Galban - Mambo Sinuendo
Seeing the Unseen D.O.R. Almanac 2004
Shaun of the Dead
Shockout Volume 1
Shotgun Wedding Vol.1 - DJ /Rupture vs Mutamassik - The Bidoun Sessions
Slam - Year Zero
Slipknot - Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
Sonic Youth - Sonic Nurse
Sophia - All My Love
Sophia - Collections:One
Sophia - People Are Like Seasons
Spring Heel Jack - Sweetness of The Water
Squarepusher - Square Window (3" Promo CD)
Squarepusher - Ultravisitor
Stone Sour - Stone Sour
Subtle - A New Shade of White
Sunburned Hand of the Man - Rare Wood
Sunn 0))) - White1
Swans - Children of God / World of Skin
Swans - Soundtracks for the Blind
Teledubgnosis - Magnetic Learning Center
The Angels of Light - How I Loved You
The Angels of Light - New Mother
The Bad Plus - Give
The Bad Plus - These are the Vistas
The Beatles - The White Album
The Bug featuring Warrior Queen - Aktion Pak
The Dillinger Escape Plan - Miss Machine
The Dillinger Escape Plan - Miss Machine Sampler
The Rapture - Echoes
The Soft Pink Truth - Do You Want New Wave or Do You Want the Soft Pink Truth?
The Streets - A Grand Don't Come For Free
The Twilight Singers - She Loves You
Themselves - Them
Throbbing Gristle - Mutant TG
Throbbing Gristle - The Taste of TG (A Beginner's Guide To The Music Of Throbbing Gristle)
TV on the Radio - Desperate Youths
TV on The Radio - Staring At The Sun EP
TV on the Radio - Young Liars EP
Two Cultures Clash
Two Lone Swordsmen - From The Double Gone Chapel
UNKLE - WWIII: UNKLE vs UNKLE
Urban Renewal Program Supplement 1.5
Vast Aire - Look Mom... No Hands
Wanna Buy A Craprak?
Ward 21 - U Know How We Roll
Watch and Repeat Play
Why?/Odd Nosdam - The Split EP
Wiley - Treddin' on Thin Ice
William Parker Violin Trio - Scrapbook
Wire Tapper 11
Wire Tapper 12
Zentertainment 2004
159 CDs by my reckoning... yikes!
Anyway, it's getting near to the end of the year so I'm almost ready to make my list of top ten CDs of the year. Almost, but not quite as I still have one in the post which I'm pretty sure could get into the top ten. In the mean time here is a scary list of CDs which I've bought this year, no wonder my credit card bill never goes down:
!!! - Louden Up Now
!!!/Out Hud - "Lab Remix Series Vol. 2" Split EP
2XH vs HHR: Where is my robotic boot?
Alias - Eyes Closed EP
Alias - Muted
Amen - California's Bleeding
Amon Tobin - Solid Steel
Andrew Broder - Modern Hits EP
Andrew Broder - More Modern Hits
Anticon Label Sampler: 1999-2004
Arthur Russell - Calling out of Context
Arthur Russell - The World of Arthur Russell
Auf der Maur - Auf der Maur
Autechre & The Hafler Trio - ae3o&h3ae
Basement Jaxx - Kish Kash
Black Dice - Miles of Smiles
Black Eyes - Cough
Blink 182 - I Miss You
Blockhead - Music By Cavelight
Boom Bip & Dose One - Circle
Boredoms - Seadrum/House of Sun
Broken Social Scene - Beehives
cLOUDDEAD - Dead Dogs Two
cLOUDDEAD - Ten
Converge - You Fail Me
Craig Armstrong - Piano Works
Curve - The Way of Curve
Definitive Jux Presents III
Devendra Banhart - Nino Rojo
Devendra Banhart - Rejoicing in the Hands
DJ /rupture - 58.46 Radio Mix
DJ /rupture - Special Gunpowder
DJ Signify - Sleep No More
DJ Spooky - rhythm Science
Domino 04
Donkey Konga Soundtrack
Donna Summer - This Needs to Be Your Style
Donna Summer vs Ove Naxx
Einsturzende Neubauten - Perpetuum Mobile
El-P - Collecting the Kid
El-P - High Water
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Exploratory Music From Portugal 04
Faust vs Dalek - Derbe Respect
Fennesz - Live in Japan
Fennesz - Venice
Four Tet - My Angel Rocks Back And Forth
Fugazi - Repeater + 3 Songs
Godspeed You Black Emperor! - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven
Good Night Music To Sleep By
Gravenhurst - Flashlight Sessions
Grime
Hope of the States - The Lost Riots
Infinite Livez - Bush Meat
Isis - 09.23.03
Isis - Mosquito Control EP
Isis - Oceanic Remixes/Reinterpretations
Isis - SGNL>05
Jackie O MotherFucker - Wow / The Magick Fire Music
Jah Wobble - I Could Have Been A Contender
Jesu - Heartache
Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World - Futures
Kevin Drumm - Sheer Hellish Miasma
Kid606 - Who Still Kill Sound?
Kid606/Cex - Oh so now you fuckers wanna dance!
King Geedorah - Take Me To Your Leader
Knifehandchop - How I Left You
Lolita Storm - Studio 666 Smack Addict Commandos / I Am Your Enemy
Lost Prophets - Start Something
Madvillain - Madvillainy
Manhunt Remixes
Mansun - Attack of the Grey Lantern
Mark Lanegan Band - Bubblegum
Massive Attack - Danny the Dog
Matmos - Rat Relocation Program
MDZ04
Michael Gira - I am singing to you from my room
Mike Ladd - Nostalgialator
Miss Kittin - I Com
Mr Scruff - Keep It Solid Steel
Murcof - Utopia
Murs - 3:16 The 9th Edition
New Japan Philharmonic - Smashing... live!
Odd Nosdam - No More Wig For Ohio
Old Man Gloom - Christmas
Out Hud - S.T.R.E.E.T. D.A.D.
OVe-NaXx - Bullets From Habikino City HxCx
Pale Horse - Gee That Ain't Swell
Pan Sonic - Kesto (234.48:4)
Part Chimp - Bring Back The Sound
Part Chimp - Chart Pimp
Passage - The Forcefield Kids
Paws Across The World 2003
Philip Jeck - 7
Philip Jeck - Surf
Probot
Rammellzee - Bi-Conicals of the Rammellzee
Rhythm & Sound with The Artists
Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine - Tuxicity
Richard X Presents His X-Factor Vol.1
RJD2 - Constant Elevation: The 'Say Word' Mix
RJD2 - Since We Last Spoke
Rock Action Presents Vol.1
Rough Trade Shops - Counter Culture 2003
Ry Cooder & Manuel Galban - Mambo Sinuendo
Seeing the Unseen D.O.R. Almanac 2004
Shaun of the Dead
Shockout Volume 1
Shotgun Wedding Vol.1 - DJ /Rupture vs Mutamassik - The Bidoun Sessions
Slam - Year Zero
Slipknot - Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
Sonic Youth - Sonic Nurse
Sophia - All My Love
Sophia - Collections:One
Sophia - People Are Like Seasons
Spring Heel Jack - Sweetness of The Water
Squarepusher - Square Window (3" Promo CD)
Squarepusher - Ultravisitor
Stone Sour - Stone Sour
Subtle - A New Shade of White
Sunburned Hand of the Man - Rare Wood
Sunn 0))) - White1
Swans - Children of God / World of Skin
Swans - Soundtracks for the Blind
Teledubgnosis - Magnetic Learning Center
The Angels of Light - How I Loved You
The Angels of Light - New Mother
The Bad Plus - Give
The Bad Plus - These are the Vistas
The Beatles - The White Album
The Bug featuring Warrior Queen - Aktion Pak
The Dillinger Escape Plan - Miss Machine
The Dillinger Escape Plan - Miss Machine Sampler
The Rapture - Echoes
The Soft Pink Truth - Do You Want New Wave or Do You Want the Soft Pink Truth?
The Streets - A Grand Don't Come For Free
The Twilight Singers - She Loves You
Themselves - Them
Throbbing Gristle - Mutant TG
Throbbing Gristle - The Taste of TG (A Beginner's Guide To The Music Of Throbbing Gristle)
TV on the Radio - Desperate Youths
TV on The Radio - Staring At The Sun EP
TV on the Radio - Young Liars EP
Two Cultures Clash
Two Lone Swordsmen - From The Double Gone Chapel
UNKLE - WWIII: UNKLE vs UNKLE
Urban Renewal Program Supplement 1.5
Vast Aire - Look Mom... No Hands
Wanna Buy A Craprak?
Ward 21 - U Know How We Roll
Watch and Repeat Play
Why?/Odd Nosdam - The Split EP
Wiley - Treddin' on Thin Ice
William Parker Violin Trio - Scrapbook
Wire Tapper 11
Wire Tapper 12
Zentertainment 2004
159 CDs by my reckoning... yikes!
Friday, December 17, 2004
Some website changes:
For some reason I've decided that one domain name isn't enough, so you can now access the site through darthphil.org and soon through darthphil.net (as soon as the DNS pixies sort the t'internet out anyway). They both use crappy banner ads unfortunatly, I may do something interesting with them at some point but I wouldn't put money on that happening soon...
I've also been playing around with del.icio.us which describes itself as a social bookmark manager. It's pretty good, with a link on your toolbar you can add a bookmark to your list, as well as a description and keywords. Bookmarks are public so when you add one you can see how many other people have added the link you've added, and if you like you can have a prod around in there lists for interesting links - and it will generate a handy RSS feed of your links. Anyway, my list can be found at http://del.icio.us/darthphil. I haven't put much in it at the moment, just a few web comic links, when I get chance I'll be going through all my IE bookmarks and using the del.icio.us to replace the portable bookmarks section.
For some reason I've decided that one domain name isn't enough, so you can now access the site through darthphil.org and soon through darthphil.net (as soon as the DNS pixies sort the t'internet out anyway). They both use crappy banner ads unfortunatly, I may do something interesting with them at some point but I wouldn't put money on that happening soon...
I've also been playing around with del.icio.us which describes itself as a social bookmark manager. It's pretty good, with a link on your toolbar you can add a bookmark to your list, as well as a description and keywords. Bookmarks are public so when you add one you can see how many other people have added the link you've added, and if you like you can have a prod around in there lists for interesting links - and it will generate a handy RSS feed of your links. Anyway, my list can be found at http://del.icio.us/darthphil. I haven't put much in it at the moment, just a few web comic links, when I get chance I'll be going through all my IE bookmarks and using the del.icio.us to replace the portable bookmarks section.
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
My brick has turned up...
First impressions of my new iRiver jukebox, well so far are good: sound quality wise it's fantastic. I've compared it to the same songs playing through my laptop's output and everything seems to have be much clearer and the bass really knocks your head off without muddying things up, probably due to all the fancy SRS tricks up it's sleeve. I look forward to my impending struggle with tinitus.
The user interface shines on the colour screen although it can be a bit confusing at the moment, it doesn't help that it seems to have two menu buttons and I keep hitting the wrong one. Whilst I'm on bad points, I'm damned if I can get media player to recognise it (even though Microsoft's website has it as a supported product), not too much of a pain as it acts as a hard disk when plugged in, but I'd like to use Media Player's synch facility - Oh well, early days and all that, I'm sure I'll figure it out.
The really cool thing though is that it can play videos, it takes a bit of work as you have to make sure the video is the right size and it's using Xvid encoding, but it's still a damn cool trick.
First impressions of my new iRiver jukebox, well so far are good: sound quality wise it's fantastic. I've compared it to the same songs playing through my laptop's output and everything seems to have be much clearer and the bass really knocks your head off without muddying things up, probably due to all the fancy SRS tricks up it's sleeve. I look forward to my impending struggle with tinitus.
The user interface shines on the colour screen although it can be a bit confusing at the moment, it doesn't help that it seems to have two menu buttons and I keep hitting the wrong one. Whilst I'm on bad points, I'm damned if I can get media player to recognise it (even though Microsoft's website has it as a supported product), not too much of a pain as it acts as a hard disk when plugged in, but I'd like to use Media Player's synch facility - Oh well, early days and all that, I'm sure I'll figure it out.
The really cool thing though is that it can play videos, it takes a bit of work as you have to make sure the video is the right size and it's using Xvid encoding, but it's still a damn cool trick.
I'm feeling unusually festive (having an 8ft inflatable christmas tree behind you will do that to you), so here's some christmas music for you:
Wesley Willis - Merry Christmas
Wesley Willis was a schizophrenic cult musician from Chicago who seems to have been adopted by Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles label at some point. It's a very cheesy song, but you can't help but admire the man's enthusiastic delivery...
Wesley Willis - Merry Christmas
Wesley Willis was a schizophrenic cult musician from Chicago who seems to have been adopted by Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles label at some point. It's a very cheesy song, but you can't help but admire the man's enthusiastic delivery...
Monday, December 13, 2004
I seem to be slightly addicted to a new TV series being shown in America called Desperate Housewives. I think I can just about justify liking this apparent Sex in the City clone as it seems to have a bit of a dark twist to it (like alot of American TV at the moment, Dead Like Me is another good example). It doesn't shy away from themes of murder, suicide and drug-abuse - plus Teri Hatcher still has a certain je ne sais quoi about her...
Saturday, December 11, 2004
Not having an mp3 player is going to drive me up the wall, so I've already ordered a new one. Unlike the rest of the world I haven't gone for an iPod (you're all sheep!), I've gone for an iRiver H320: colour screen, 20GB disk, top-notch audio quality, can even play videos if you tweak it a bit. Sweet.
It was our work's christmas outing last night, went to one of these big corporate party affairs. Naturally I got horribly drunk, but I can at least remember most of the night - overall impression was that it was great fun. However the karma seems to have decided to even things out and I've managed to lose a bow tie, a cuff link and more distressingly my mp3 player... Arse!
Friday, December 10, 2004
Wednesday, December 8, 2004
OK, earlier I was talking about very obscure, over emotional, pseudo heavy metal. Now I'm going to switch to happy, chirpy dance music.
I went to see Groove Armada tonight...
They're OK I guess, many of there songs have that comforting quality in that you will recognise the songs, but the whole performance was just a bit...well, meh. They don't have a decent focal point in terms of a charismatic front person, they played eveything by numbers, and there were too many slow points in the set. Plus, playing a song as an encore which you've already played before in the set really takes away from it's initial impact.
I'm making a promise to myself that the next gig I go to will involve something a bit more challenging...
I went to see Groove Armada tonight...
They're OK I guess, many of there songs have that comforting quality in that you will recognise the songs, but the whole performance was just a bit...well, meh. They don't have a decent focal point in terms of a charismatic front person, they played eveything by numbers, and there were too many slow points in the set. Plus, playing a song as an encore which you've already played before in the set really takes away from it's initial impact.
I'm making a promise to myself that the next gig I go to will involve something a bit more challenging...
Public Service Announcement
OK, I know I get the odd Isis fan passing through, so there is the possibility that the odd Jesu fan (or should I say potential Jesu fan as they've only released 2 songs officially so far) may pass by, you may be interested in this info, everyone else can look away now.
It looks like today was the Japanese release date for Jesu's debut album, details about it can be found in this message board posting. I've gone for cdjapan again, as they seem pretty reliable, and I'm crossing my fingers about it being a two disk edition...
OK, I know I get the odd Isis fan passing through, so there is the possibility that the odd Jesu fan (or should I say potential Jesu fan as they've only released 2 songs officially so far) may pass by, you may be interested in this info, everyone else can look away now.
It looks like today was the Japanese release date for Jesu's debut album, details about it can be found in this message board posting. I've gone for cdjapan again, as they seem pretty reliable, and I'm crossing my fingers about it being a two disk edition...
Saturday, December 4, 2004
Friday, December 3, 2004
OK I've found some new music myself: M.I.A. I've just finished listening to a mix she's done with Diplo, and I'm currently listening to a few tunes on here website. Absolutely marvellous stuff: if you need a frame of reference imagine Dizzee Rascal's first album, make it a bit more fun, and add a female MC and you'll be close.
I'm fed up with work and I need some new music to listen to so that I can temporarily escape this boring, dull, and annoyingly stressful job of mine. Any Suggestions?
I've also added a 'next blog' button to the menu, it's mean't to send you to another 'blog' where you will be entertained by far better writing than on this site. That is the theory anyway...
I've also added a 'next blog' button to the menu, it's mean't to send you to another 'blog' where you will be entertained by far better writing than on this site. That is the theory anyway...
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