Marvel to publish Girl Comics anthology next year
-
Heidi over at The Beat breaks the news that Marvel is putting out a
three-issue anthology called Girl Comics -- think Strange Tales, but created
exclusivel...
Humongous 'Finish Him' Mortal Kombat Tattoo
-
[image: finish-him.jpg] Wow, that's really....something. But who am I to
judge? I'm just a man with a giant Bubble Bobble level on his back. Which,
for the...
Remember “Return of the Ewok”?
-
Do you remember “Return of the Ewok?” Probably not, because it was never
completed, even though Lucas had plans to use it in promotions for “Return
of the ...
In Transition
-
Hey all. For the time being,until we talk to Rodney to see if he would like
to continue posting at TMB or we find a replacement I will help update the
site...
Prog 963 27/10/95
-
In *Luke Kirby The Old Straight Track*, Luke has been walking across the
country with *Zeke*, a magician who knows all of Britain’s secret walkways,
to att...
TVD | Holiday Bullshit
-
IN PASSING
(A.Borland)
These yellow lights are not enough / To illuminate this night / These
streets all have a hollow ring / Sounding down inside / This t...
A Whole Mess o' Santas
-
Hey, I fell a bit behind posting my Santas-of-the-Day, so here's a catchup!
No. 12: Mr. Darcy Santa
[image: Mr. Darcy Santa]
"He finds the question of wh...
Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #7
-
HIs favorite expression is "Sweet Christmas!" Well here is the cover to his
first Christmas story. Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #7. There's a lot of action
in...
Santa Packs Are Coming
-
I can't quite say why, but I've always liked this commercial. It's part of
my Christmas routine, I guess. There are a number of Christmas-themed
commercial...
HotUKDeals Of The Day – Tuesday 15th December
-
It’s all going on here at Deals Of The Day, if you believe ‘all going on’ to
translate as ‘containing some offers for aquariums, booze and fancy-pants
phot...
Santa's a Cry Baby
-
Got plenty of Holiday cheer? Well, we're here to bring you down. Oh, yes.
We had so much positive response from last year's session involv...
India in Color
-
Activities and Projects: India in Color Soleillant 1977 This looks like a
lovely book! There’s just one problem. The projects are NOT in color! Ok,
there...
Sucking the brains out of our youth
-
I haven’t managed to process my photos from the Sunn O))) / OM gig last week
to my satisfaction (Katja, on the other hand, got hers up in hours) but this
o...
70’s Gem From…Thin Lizzy “Got To Give It Up”
-
Rock God Cred Report: Click here to check a 70’s gem from Thin Lizzy “Got To
Give It Up” Buy “Black Rose”…one of their best…Gary Moore joins the lads for
t...
BE STILL MY BLOG OF WAR is no more !!!
-
I've decided to have a change, from today BE STILL MY BLOG OF WAR is
changing to ATOMIC DONKEY#0
Why that title, well an artist called Tim Gula who I met ...
Somersault – that special Yuletide feeling…
-
‘Tis the Season for joy and warmth and love and, well, maybe not in the
world of Somersault… (Somersault this week is (c) Richard Cowdry; if you
want to re...
eagleowl – Sleep the Winter
-
It’s hard to review this single, not because the basics aren’t pretty clear
(it’s lovely, I like it a lot, go and buy it please) but because I am
finding i...
As it recurs to me
-
Thanks, as ever, to Andy McH, for this exclusive footage from last night's
triumphant, end-of-run As It Occurs To Me at the Leicester Square Theatre,
in ...
Cult of the b side - suede
-
Suede were one of those bands that continued the tradition of the Smiths in
that singles all had non lp tracks as b sides. They also gathered them
togeth...
Seasons Greetings from Tim Boo Ba
-
Being that typical winning combination of a bloke and a skinflint, I don't
send Christmas cards. But I have been posting Facebook cards in recent
years, as...
Dennis Severs
-
Last night we were out on a school night....well it is the season to be
jolly. As ever nothing went quite a smoothly as it should....I drove into
London h...
I Read Your Comic
-
Those fans of Strip for Me with very long memories and paper copies with low
numbers may remember the short reviews that I used to run on the inside back
c...
The 12 Blogs of Christmas: Three. Dark X-Men.
-
Something else I should have mentioned yesterday that I liked this year: Stan Lee's Twitter feed. Stan, under the handle of smilinstanlee has found yet anot...
SOMETHING OF A LET-DOWN
-
I don't like using the blog to say negative things. That's why if I go to a
gig that's a letdown I wont write about it, while if I buy a record that I
don...
In Search Of Eddie Riff: Part XXVII (Approx.)
-
From 1968, here's one of *Paul McCartney*'s most winsome conributions to *The
Beatles' **White Album *-- "I Will."
And from a decade later, here's Bosto...
2009 Christmas Song Of The Day 14
-
toothpastefordinner.com A holiday spin on a Metallica classic for you today
that’ll leave a different kind of ringing in your ears for sure. Santa Claws
an...
Chocosmut
-
‘You’ve all seen that Busch beer commercial where the girl in the short hot
pants opens the beer bottle on her belt buckle, leaves it there, lets it
foam o...
2009 Top 30 continues HERE!
-
It's day 2 of my musical review of the year...
[image: 20-25]
25
Zero 7: Hey Ghost (album)
Zero 7 without Sia? Surely not? Well... it turned out alright i...
Sweeping The Nation Albums Of 2009: Number 16
-
With the revival in the last couple of years as ‘indie’ in its original
jangly form, and since Franz Ferdinand took what originally became known as
The S...
AFoR Advent: Middle Distance Runner
-
Middle Distance Runner are a band that have been on the periphery of my
musical radar for some time now, but I’ve never taken the time to get to
know them....
Albums of the Year: 2007
-
This is the final part of the series of my favourite top ten albums of every
year through the ’00s. And to celebrate it, I accidentally wrote 11 reviews.
S...
Copyright Infringement Again
-
Seems like Dan from Withered Hand objects to me posting Oldsmobile Car, fair
do's really, if I had been informed of this I would have pulled the track
righ...
We were right.
-
Today was my first ever experience in a Psychiatrist’s office as we took
Master P for his referral. (For anyone new the beginning of this is here.)
The ...
Nobody’s Favorites: Failing upward
-
I was forced to spend the better part of my day at the dentist’s office,
where I was informed that she “didn’t even know where to begin” in regard to
my cu...
Christmas Meme
-
My blogger friend KC over here has saved me a few times earlier with a
meme… 1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Egg Nog – any time. The non-alcoholic one
is OK ...
Poll results; new poll
-
In one of the more serious poll questions I've featured, I asked you what *
2012* director Roland Emmerich might do next, seeing as how he's eviscerated
the...
Facebook familial faux pas
-
“Oh boy,” thought Emily in New York, when she saw this mini-drama unfold on
her newsfeed. “I can’t even imagine; if my dad found out that I was engaged
via...
The Soft Pack - C'Mon - Free MP3
-
The Soft Pack have been hogging the office stereo for the last couple of
weeks now (well, until the unintentionally hilarious new Fun Lovin'
Criminals albu...
Before Fate Takes Every Thing Away
-
She woke, the phrase repeating in her head. Because the street. It was not
difficult to remember Jason, even after he died. Twists of metal, and blood,
and...
17 Seconds Records’ Top 75 Albums Of the Year 2009
-
Well, here it is folks…my Top 75 albums of the year. DISCLAIMER: Please
note: due to having a)an opinion of my own; b) a limited number of hours in
the day...
Round Round Get A Round I'll Get A Round...Up
-
It's been a while since I posted so thought, with time being tight and
having a day off I'd do a quick round up.
*SPOILERS MAY APPEAR*
Thankfully *X F...
I’ll tell you about the Cuban’s eight-foot stride
-
Quality Janitor is about old janitors/parkies/grandads who presumably “put
Nick Straker on the floor” when the seventies one-hit-wonders went for a
walk in...
Favourite Records of 2009 (Part One)
-
*Bat for Lashes - Two Suns*
One of the first standout records released this year, it seems like ages
since 'Two Suns' was released. And frankly it's taken...
daytripper #1
-
Despite the career trajectories of Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon, the brothers’
creator-owned series has had a curiously low profile as it enters the shops.
Po...
The Living Daylights
-
Here’s a cool little mod pop psych tune from 1967. The band are the Living
Daylights, the tune is called Always With Him. It’s a lovely little track,
kind ...
Four Colour World - Preview 1
-
I have an idea for a novel, or a novel about an idea, and either way it
feels like the most organic, free-form thing I will have written so far.
It’s not a...
Hulk Desk Light!
-
[image: msh_hulkdeslight]
Bruce here yet again... enjoying three days in a row of being me. Of course,
I'd prefer it if I was being me somewhere I could wo...
KAZ's Top Ten
-
At this time of year lazy journalists are inclined to reduce the entire
welter of human experience into endless top tens. Or so said Marina Hyde
last Satu...
AND THEN THERE WERE NONE by AGATHA CHRISTIE
-
More than forty years I've been reading, yet I'd never read an Agatha
Christie mystery until just this month. "They're too innocent," I thought
to myself ...
An hour down the road
-
Just an hour down the road is a work site I visit. In the space of the hour
it usually takes to drive there, I decided to photograph the road-side
remin...
The "So This Is It, We're Going to Die" Calendar
-
We live within 10 miles of a nuclear power plant. That is not really
important, most of the time, excepting the following occasions:
Noon, the first Monday...
Everybody Was In The French Resistance...Now
-
We finally got round to adding our single to our myspace page.
You can now hear our song 'G.I.R.L.F.R.E.N (You Know I've Got A)
*HERE*
*
*
and you still...
Andy’s new column, and Deirdre’s webcomic
-
Andy Luke’s second column at Alltern8 is up, in which he recommends some
(mostly) small press comics as Christmas presents – including my own Ness.
Anothe...
A question of retribution.
-
Nice to see Penelope Wilton’s Talking Head (‘Rosemary’, Episode 1, from
Series 2, in 1998) was selected to be one aired as part of the Bennett
season. It’s...
Party Crashing
-
By now everybody knows that a couple of fame-whore douchebags crashed
President Obama’s first state dinner at the White House. It was certainly a
failure o...
Christmas Sweptaways-style
-
Bit of a Christmas treat for you today, with what are probably my favourite
two festive songs from the past decade. Absolute gems the pair of them. If
you ...
Sunday Morning Uketube
-
If ever a tune was made for the ukulele, it’s Hey Ya. Cheerful, uplifting,
and fun. Great stuff.
*Bookmark It*
[image: Add to Bloglines] [image: Add ...
update for the heck of it
-
I've got a bunch of art-things going on. Three people responded to my free
commission offer, I'm working on a collaboration with Sweet Enemy and I'm
doing ...
A few bits and bobs…
-
Let's have a work update, then, as I've got a few things to link to/post
about since getting back from That America... - First off, a new piece for
Channel...
A few more reviews
-
Here's a quick post just to cover a few of the more recent *Rainbow Orchid*reviews. And don't forget the December
sale is still on, though it's getting rath...
Lionel
-
"We're the only ones who tolerate Lionel. He's such a miserable, horrible
man, hasn't got a good word to say about anybody. He pops up on our doorstep
at t...
LDR
-
Aside from other travel experiences, I am also embarking on The Long
Distance Relationship. One which is made slightly harder by the fact that
we'll be apa...
Great Deeds Against the Dead
-
The second issue and conclusion to *Rob Jackson's Great Deeds Against the
Dead* is now available. It's even more creepy and surreal and good than the
firs...
The People's Princess
-
I had thought this phrase was made up by Alastair Campbell for the famous
Blair soundbite on the day Diana died but I just pulled this 1984 book out
of a...
Listening to Hairy Chimps
-
My friends at the Torygraph report that "Monkey alarm calls provide clues to
origins of human language". Nice to see TCM speculating about something and
sp...
THE DAMNED UNITED: The Film Babble Blog Review
-
THE DAMNED UNITED (Dir. Tom Hooper, 2009)
Playing Prime Minister Tony Blair in full on damage control mode in THE
QUEEN, taking on television journali...
That Damned Elusive Buster Special...
-
"We seek him here, we seek him there, Those Frenchies seek him everywhere. Is
he in heaven? — Is he in hell? That damned, elusive Pimpernel " - quotation
...
The House Always Wins: Jeff Lovering
-
Click to enlarge.
From the script:
Jeff is a 30-year-old scarecrow rocking a pair of John Lennon granny glasses
and a slightly ratty doctor’s coat over a...
Exhibit #14 All The Honeys Making Money
-
The Noughties will be remembered as a stunted deformity of a decade when
technology was routinely more impressive than people; when information was
more av...
New Decade?
-
I heard on a radio station this week that we are heading for a new
decade..2010...beginning of a new decade...but is it?
2000 to 2009..thats ten years..a ...
Speaking of Bottom-Loading Water Coolers,
-
I better write something uplifting here, with lots of pictures, so that the
people who visit me for the first time after reading this review won't be
overw...
Fear Of Tigers, “Cossus Snufsigalonica”
-
This is reminding me of something and I can’t put my finger on it1. I’m
scouring DJ mixes from the 90s and when it hits me, it’s going to be like a
fist to...
Danielson Famile
-
Mr M is currently eggshelling a skirting board and so has asked me to
“quickly bang out 500 words on the Danielson Famile” for him.
It was lat...
My tooth. The End.
-
I have toothache. I've been to the dentist and will be having the wretched
thing removed in a couple of weeks. This tooth has been giving me grief for
over...
A Wrong Turning
-
Mirabilis was one of the DFC strips that was supposed to appear in the
Guardian's comic section. We were told that the Guardian pages would have to
be orig...
The Blade Itself, by Joe Abercrombie
-
Despite its considerable strengths (and there are many) and some unanimously
enthusiastic reviews (and there are many of those too), The Blade Itself
ends ...
Boogie days
-
Cheers to Rol.
List 10 musical artists (or bands) you like, in no specific order (do this
before reading the questions below). Really, don’t read the quest...
Bonita, Bonita, Bonita
-
In addition to dusting off all the great Christmas tunes, what I often like to do at this time of year is pull out classic old favorites that make me feel fe...
Phonogram 2.6 And S.W.O.R.D. 2 Out
-
Crikey. It’s like Christmas for people who like comics called Phonogram and
SWORD. Penultimate issue released about a month after the last. Are we
getting ...
Introducing The Word e-dition
-
We keep reading that the world's biggest magazine publishers are wondering
whether they might be able to "do an iTunes" for magazines. Determined not
to ...
Music Meme
-
List 10 musical artists (or bands) you like in no specific order. Answer the
questions below AFTER PICKING YOUR ARTISTS! NO LOOKING AHEAD!
David Bowie
Anni...
Eh! to Zee Avi
-
I am really excited to see Malaysian artist Zee Avi play at the Media Club
here in Vancouver tomorrow night. Even though she's basically my favourite
new ...
Moonraker
-
Moonraker (1979) *Director:* Lewis Gilbert *Starring:* Roger Moore, Michael
Lonsdale, Lois Chiles, Richard Kiel Moonraker is the eleventh Bond film, and ...
Traclisting from Saturday 5th December
-
A fairly quiet night, all told. A big group of lads in, all tanked up, early
on. Hence the requests for Journey and, believe it or not, The Stone Roses.
Th...
Free Beer!!!
-
Earned some free beer today as a thanks for doing a (full colour Copic
marker) pic for somebody at work, which I won't post as I don't really like
the res...
Even more Abba gold!
-
It's been a while as life in the real world has been hectic but finally an
update. I've realised that one of the best things about becoming what used
to k...
Beer drinking Bumble
-
I just finished up the art for this years Huns X-mas pub crawl.
[image: Huns 12 Bars of X-mas 2009]
This is the original art for the Pub Crawl shirt. I've ...
Paranoid or what?
-
We have an little devise from Scottish power that shows you how much
electricity you are using. You're meant to be able to use it to save energy
and money...
Ben Frost: By the Throat
-
The scene: a blizzard whites out the darkest of nights and wolves gather in
packs to howl at the moon. Surely, you would have thought, some sort of rock
cl...
Blake's 7 - Domed City - Work in progress
-
Here's something I'm working on at the moment, it's my own version of the
Domed City seen only in 4 (rather poor shots) in Episode 1 of Blake's 7,
plus the...
Just Because I'm Paranoid....
-
I like to hope I am not overly gullible. I am quite content for example to
accept the latest theory re the premature death of film star Marilyn Monroe
as t...
The end was nigh
-
2012. Well what a load of shit. Honestly, it's a crime against humanity.
It's so brain-numbingly bad that I think I suffered brain damage. It's so
unbeliev...
The unpronounceables
-
I come from a family to whom second languages are a breeze, and often
third/fourth languages (if you count Swiss-German/French dialect as a
language and no...
Five For Friday 15
-
It seems everyone is already coming to byc in search of holiday music, yet I
haven't even had time to digest my tofurkey. I promise to get some holiday
mu...
High eggs-citement
-
So the barn needed reorganising and that involved moving a stack of about 50
bales from the dampish bit near the door to a drier area and making the
whole ...
The marriage and death of Judy Garland, Chelsea 1969
-
On March 15th 1969 at Chelsea Register Office on the Kings Road, Judy
Garland married a gay discotheque manager and part-time jazz pianist called
Mickey De...
Hot and Mothered
-
My dad has gone away.
This is a rare occurrence, he's as attached to his tweed arm chair and over
head projector slides as Husband is to his balls (due to b...
The Country Roads of Chris (Dog Oil) Raddings
-
*(Photo by Sheila Godfrey)*
Biography-
Chris Raddings: Musician
Born in: Leeds, West Yorkshire, U.K.
Date of Birth: 21/11/63
Schools: Scholes Infants Scho...
Evidently Chicken Town
-
John Cooper Clarke’s Evidently Chicken Town in the style of Bob Dylan, from
the November 2009 tour of Canada. John Cooper Clarke website Bookmark with:
Hid...
Radio Days
-
[image: Southover Bonfire Society 2009 march, entering the fire site in
Lewes, image by Oliver Gozzard] In the run-up to Lewes’s amazing Bonfire
celebratio...
why do all good things come to an end....?
-
I'm moving my blog. If you're looking for me, then you should now head to swisslet.com
I've had a pretty good run on here.
I started making my first ten...
Don't even think about trying to sneak by me
-
I've tried to get around to as many species as possible on this blog, but
it's really hard to keep up with all the smart-ass explorers that go into
places ...
The Dentist, Writing, The Shadows, Reviews
-
(Soundtrack: Traffic and sirens as I am in an Internet Cafe on the Uxbridge
Road) I just went to the dentist, well the dental hygenist, for a clean. She
as...
Social Media – A Force for Good
-
There may be a short delay while the video loads. Location: London Stephen
Fry, Biz Stone, Founder and Chief Executive of Twitter; and Reid Hoffman,
Founde...
Trucking Hell
-
One of the advantages of setting The Absence in the 1940s is that the
vehicles are pretty blocky in shape, and thus easy to draw in perspective.
This is es...
The last sentence …
-
The last sentence of the novel I have just finished (SPOILER ALERT):
“Everything had gone wrong, and he had succeeded at nothing, and he was
never going to...
Tagged
-
Rules. 1. You post a song that makes you happy. 2. You can tag as many
people as you want (although by current practice ‘as many people as you
like’ appea...
Stargate: Universe & Durham County
-
Two minor TV obsessions this week. I promised someone that I’d watch
“Stargate: Universe” so that they didn’t have to, and we’ve been sitting on
the first ...
In It Solely For The Money
-
If you find this infrequent blog too high and mighty and long for poorly
thought through content that's updated often enough that it doesn't matter
and fan...
Self Portrait
-
[image: Self Portrait 2009]
I've really been digging the photo editing apps on my iPhone. This shot was
taken via the Toy Camera app, tweaked with Tilt Shif...
Batman big in Lille (France)
-
I know, I know. I don't look old enough to have a child of my own. Well
folks, it's true, (as those of you familiar with this den of iniquity will
well kn...
Currently no posts
-
*Sorry, this author has not yet posted to this blog.*
Please check back later as new posts are added regularly. To discover more
authors, visit our Autho...
Out of DJ retirement
-
That's what's happening this Friday, the 30th, here in that London. I will
be doing me stuff at Scared To Dance, on between half nine and 11pm. The
night i...
Comic Book Legends Revealed #228
-
This is the two-hundred and twenty-eighth in a series of examinations of
comic book legends and whether they are true or false. Click here for an
archive o...
17 Seconds Records: a label to watch out for ...
-
Hello my beauties,
yes, yes ... quite a while since I last found the time to post a little
something here on Sexyloser and I hope you will forgive me. I...
If you do nothing else, buy this record...
-
If you like the kind of music I've posted here at STWOF, then you'll love
this fantastic lost classic from 1972: Bob Martin - Midwest Farm Disaster.
Read...
Want More Freelance Dramaturg?
-
You got him!
I promise to one day provide real, honest to god Slog-tent sooner or later.
I have been plugging away over at Thunder Matt's Saloon, though, s...
Moving House
-
I'm shifting from Blogger to Wordpress.
You can find me here:
http://thesongsthatpeoplesing.wordpress.com/
So make sure you update your links!! Unless of...
13 Men - Huddersfield Daily Examiner
-
This afternoon, at the time of writing, The Huddersfield Giants are playing in the Rugby League Challenge Cup Final. We did a kind of tribute song for them c...
WTF?!!!
-
Seriously though... What THE FUCK?!!!
I've always found those adverts for toy baby dolls that look and feel like a
real infant to be somewhat disturbing...
Phonogram print.
-
Hello everyone,
Following a bit of interest I have made a limited edition print of the
double page spread from Phonogram: Singles Club #4. It looks like th...
hello again
-
hello again. I am home from uni, sitting on the sofa in my sweaty cycling
clothes waiting to go in the shower. MrC has cooked a lovely lasagne. I feel
a bi...
-
*Chamone Michael.
*
The one gloved, plastic surgery experimenting one, is no more. Fifty years
of age is pretty damn young for the king of pop to pop his cl...
AWAY NOTIFICATION
-
I will be away from this blog and other personal internet endeavors such as
my Twitter, etc. until January, 2010. If you would like to keep up to date
on w...
No, Your Computer is Not Rejecting Me
-
Says the anonymous LROD reader who sent in the rejection above: "I don't
usually feel like any rejection I receive is all that interesting, but there
is so...
SCANS DAILY
-
Did you ever hear of Scans Daily? I had not. Kathleen informs me that it began as a site on Live Journal where individual scenes from comic books were put up...
thefriday7 13 Feb 09
-
Friday the 13th, and having not been killed by a mask wearing psycho it's
time for another seven to end the week with, and as Saturday is St
Valentines it'...
About Charlotte ep12
-
Episode 12 is up now. It’s the final episode for the time being, the series
will return in spring 2009. Hope you all have a great Christmas and Happy
New ...
aRTy without the Drivel!
-
The beauty of a “Doctor Who” Radio Times cover is that you can admire the
visual without having to listen to what passes for a script in this day and
age,...
Wedding
-
I went to my brother's wedding on Saturday 16th. Needless to say, it was
awful, but then these events are not designed to be enjoyed by the likes of
me. I ...
Storms are brewing
-
Next week I see nearly six months of headaches come to a massive
(anti)climax when everyone in my department gets the chance to be
interviewed .... for ou...
Last Friday, I was crammed into the old GMEX Centre (now Manchester Central, but it'll always be the GMEX to me) with a few thousand rabid Courteeners fans to see the band unveil material from their forthcoming second album, Falcon, as well as playing the songs that we all loved from their debut. It won't be a surprise that the older songs were the most rapturously received, so much so that we could hardly hear lead singer Liam Fray's vocals half the time - shoddy work from the sound desk. Still, there were other times in the set when I could have done without hearing him - during his arrogant, Gallagheresque boasts about how his band are going to own 2010 (a little cockiness in a rock 'n' roll star is always welcome - too much and I start to shudder), and during the band's big, anthemic, pseudo-Snow Patrol new stuff... which ditches the Northern kitchen sink lyrics and indie swagger of their previous record in favour of echoey 80s drums and sweeping MOR anthems. I might be being overly harsh on their new material, repeated listens may well reveal hidden depths, but there was such a shift in their sound that it was hard to give it the attention it deserved. It was like listening to two different bands at times, the contrast between first album and second was that noticeable.
The gig wasn't a complete letdown though. There were some great moments, notably the closing double-whammy of Not Nineteen Forever and What Took You So Long, though once again the bloke on the sound desk did his best to lose these beneath the crowd. And I always respect a band that play right through to the curfew and don't waste time with that whole going off and coming back on for an encore nonsense. The Courteeners still have a lot of potential (and hey, they're one of the few contemporary indie bands that Morrissey has a good word for) but I do hope that in their quest for stadium glory they don't lose sight of what made them magical in the first place...
Rain falling not a chance of snow Jona Lewie on the radio French beer and mistletoe That'll be Christmas
Thea Gilmore's Christmas single is available for download today, and I want to do my bit to help it get in the Christmas Top 40. Because not only is it a proper Xmas single (as opposed to all the X-Factor bollocks that'll be clogging up the charts next week), it's also a non-cheesy Christmas single. And putting Christmas to one side, it's a damn good song to boot. So listen to the video below, and if it jingles your bells, pop along to iTunes (ptui!) or Amazon and download a copy.
Or, if you really like it, you might consider buying the album, Strange Communion, which may well be the best Christmas record I've heard since Phil Spector's. It's certainly the most varied, from the tranquil, hymn-like opener Sol Invictus to Thea Gilmore's Midwinter Toast with its heartfelt Hallelujah chorus to the blissfully atmospheric Listen The Snow Is Falling and the raucous, hilariously cynical (and previously mentioned) St. Stephens Days Murders. Then there's the gorgeous December In New York (previously released on the Songs From The Gutter collection, but well deserving of another airing here) and the sinister, whispered Book Of Christmas which talks of fading nostalgia...
And as if through coloured glasses we remember the childhood thrill Waking in the morning to the rustling of paper The eiderdown heaped like a hill Of dogs and bears and bricks and apples And the feeling that Christmas Day was like a coral island in time...
...and the war between church and state...
Christ walked in where philosophers tread In honour of whom we have taken over the pagan Saturnalia Letting the belly have its say Ignoring the spirit while we eat...
...against an eerie backing track that feels like a Christmas ghost walking across your grave.
Seriously, if you're looking for something to listen to while you mutilate the bird, I can give this no higher recommendation. It's the sort of record that has me wishing the festive season will last a whole lot longer this year... and I don't even like Christmas!
I'm about two thirds of the way through my latest n*v*l, and I've just realised that somewhere along the way, the train has slipped off the tracks. The central character is no longer driving the plot, he's just reacting to a snowballing series of contrived coincidences, or else spending whole chapters brooding and cogitating on the awfulness of his predicament.
I've known all along where the story wants to end up, I have a firm grasp on my hero and know which of the supporting cast are most important to his journey. The problem lies with the rest of the cast. I realised I was creating them purely to service the increasingly desperate machinations of the plot, and good characters should do precisely the opposite of that - they should drive the plot, take it in wonderfully unexpected directions. They should write themselves.
The other problem was the scope. As I've mentioned before, this story is structured in two halves - present day and schooldays flashback. I've written all the flashback sequences first since what happens there directly informs what happens in the second half of the book (though the two halves run concurrently, one chapter present, one flashback etc.). The scope for the first half was dictated by the setting. When you're at school, that's your world. You may have friends or interests outside, but largely your day-to-day adventures are confined to what happens within the school grounds. The problem I was having with the present day sequence was that while most of the action centred around the character's workplace, I kept letting him wander off or be distracted by things that were happening in the world outside and that was just too big a canvas to paint on - which explains why so many of the incidental characters were little more than sketches.
The wonderful thing about writing is that when you know something's not working, you can always go back and start again. That's never as difficult as it sounds. A lot of the story can still be saved, you just need to sit down and think about it. Over the last few says, I've worked through some character sheets and developed the supporting cast far beyond their roles as facilitators to the plot. I've grown to like them a lot more in doing so, and already they're suggesting natural story possibilities that avoid the contrivances I was struggling with before. What's even better is that in doing so I've found a simple and logical way to limit the scope of this sequence to the workplace. Much of the plot is based around a whodunit (or 'who's doing it?') mystery, and the trouble with the previous draft was that the list of potential suspects was endless and indeterminate. It could have been anyone from the protagonist's workplace... or anyone from his past. Or even, a relative or friend of someone from his past. There was no way for him to narrow that list down, so there was no way for the reader to do that either. Now, through a simple plot device that suggested itself while I was rethinking the characters, it's obvious that my murderer has to be one of the supporting cast. And suddenly the story has direction again. The hero can take charge of the story, investigate and narrow down the potential culprits, and drive the plot through to its inevitable conclusion.
Something else happened during this process of revision. Thinking about the luxury of being able to go back and start again when the direction of your plot just isn't working; thinking about a central character who refuses to take charge of his own life and instead descends into an ever more depressing cycle of existential monologues and self-reproach; thinking about problems of scope... it all brought a little perspective on my own situation. For too long now I've whinged about being stuck in a job I hate with no future and little hope of escape. Twenty years ago when I started working in radio, it was only ever going to be a temporary career... until the writing took off. Now, as I stare down the approaching horror of 40, I have to accept that no white knight with a writing contract is going to ride into this office, sweep me up onto his horse, and gallop us away to freedom. At least not in the immediate future, anyway. I've not given up on the dream, but I can't keep relying on it to save me. I have to be practical. I have to take charge of my own life and find a new direction, one that doesn't make me as angry and frustrated and - let's be frank here - fucked off as the road I've been stuck on for so many years.
And so I've made a decision. A long term plan. A certain amount of retraining is required, and it'll take me a couple of years to get there, but it's something I feel I can do - and more importantly, I think I'll feel like I'm contributing something positive to the world. Which, as Bill Hicks always reminds me, is not something I've ever been able to say about my current job. It's weird how it's taken me so long to make this decision, and how calm I feel now it's done. More details will follow, once I know them myself.
I've often said that one of the main reasons why I write - why I have to write - is that it helps me in my life. I get to express my thoughts and feelings and frustrations with the world through fiction (or even through this blog) and work through issues that - short of paying heap big money to a therapist - I might never properly get off my chest. That's obvious. Less obvious is how examining more technical matters like story structure or character profiles can have a big impact on the path I take in the real world... but this is a prime example how that works.
Apologies, I can't remember where I stole this one from...
List 10 musical artists (or bands) you like, in no specific order (do this before reading the questions below). Really, don’t read the questions below until you pick your ten artists!!!
1. Morrissey 2. Bruce Springsteen 3. Pulp 4. Aimee Mann 5. Billy Bragg 6. Eels 7. Thea Gilmore 8. The Indelicates 9. Ben Folds 10. Luke Haines
What was the first song you ever heard by 6?
Novocaine For The Soul, obviously. Their debut single was all over the radio in 1997, and it still sounds great today. Curiously, their next single, the far less commercial (though still fantastic) Susan's House remains their biggest UK hit, beating Novocaine by one chart position to reach #9. Sadly, their third single, Your Lucky Day In Hell, was denied a higher chart placing as it was scheduled to be released in the week after Princess Di's death when radio stopped playing anything but Elton John for a month. I remember, because I was working in programming at the time and I was tempted to blow my head off if I heard Elt one more time.
What is your favorite song of 8?
We Hate The Kids. Still the best song of last year, or whichever year it was originally released... and there still isn't a version on youtube that does it justice. We've been denied any true Indelicates goodness in 2009 (with the exception of the shamelessly timely Recession Song) but a new album is promised in February. Can't wait. They are selling Christmas Fudge over on their website at the moment though. What other band sells Christmas Fudge?
What kind of impact has 1 left on your life?
Oh, come on. That's too easy. Or too difficult. Or just too big a question to ask in a throwaway meme. Suffice it to say, he's said more to me about my life than any other artist.
What is your favorite lyric of 5?
If no one seems to understand Start your own revolution and cut out the middleman
In a perfect world we'd all sing in tune But this is reality so give me some room
So join the struggle while you may The revolution is just a t-shirt away Waiting for the great leap forwards
Or...
Thank you for the things you bought me thank you for the card Thank you for the things you taught me when you hit me hard That love between two people must be based on understanding Until that's true you'll find your things All stacked out on the landing, surprise, surprise Valentine's Day is over...
Or...
When the world falls apart some things stay in place She takes off the Four Tops tape and puts it back in its case When the world falls apart some things stay in place Levi Stubbs' tears run down his face
Or something else entirely.
How many times have you seen 4 live?
Once. She doesn't come to the UK very often, sadly, and when she does it's only for a very short tour. I had tickets to see her another time, back in 2001 / 02, but she cancelled all flight plans after 9/11.
What is your favorite song by 7?
At the moment, it's her duet with Mark Radcliffe (yes, that Mark Radcliffe) from her new Christmas album, Strange Communion. It's a cover of The St. Stephens Day Murders, originally by Elvis Costello and The Chieftains, and it's the best Christmas song I've heard this year.
No, seriously, if you like Fairytale Of New York, do yourself a favour and have a listen to this. It's a classic.
Is there any song by 3 that makes you sad?
A Little Soul always brings a lump to my throat. It was alleged at the time that Jarv wrote this about the strained relationship with his own dad, though I seem to remember he subsequently denied that. Even if it's pure fiction, it's still written from the heart.
I look like a big man But I've only got a little soul.
What is your favorite song by 9?
When did you first get into 2?
'85, it must have been. Probably the same time as the rest of the world, though I quickly discovered he'd been on a long journey to get to those stadiums. It was probably Glory Days that finally did it, coupled with I'm On Fire. Then I finally heard Born To Run, and the rest is history.
How did you get into 3?
Probably through Davey. He was a big fan. I also remember picking up a copy of His 'n' Hers from the chuckout box at work. Jarvis always printed a warning in the lyrics booklet asking people not to read the lyrics while listening to the music. Sorry, Jarv, I never complied.
What is your favorite song by 4?
Probably this...
How many times have you seen 9 live?
Twice. And it's about time we made it three.
What is a good memory concerning 2?
You know how when you think back on your youth, and sometimes it seems like it was always summer? If ever I think back on listening to Bruce in my youth, that's how it feels. It's a totally false memory, I probably spent more time sat in my bedroom, headphones on, while the Yorkshire rain pelted on the window... but in my head I was driving down a dusty highway or walking down the boardwalk on the New Jersey pier. The best music creates memories that never really happened.
Is there a song by 8 that makes you sad?
It breaks my heart that We Hate The Kids wasn't Number One for seventeen weeks. God, but it should have been.
What is your favorite song by 1?
Even after all these years, it's still this...
How did you become a fan of 10?
Ah, I was wondering what happened to 10. Possibly a combination of Miller and the chuckouts box again. Although I do remember that I wasn't really a fan of the Auteurs when they were big. It was Black Box Recorder that first made me take note of his songwriting, specifically Child Psychology. I find it hilarious that this was apparently in the soundtrack to The Gilmore Girls!
I don't take part in Secret Santas. They have one here every year and I always refuse. If I want to buy somebody a present, I'll buy them a present. What I don't want is to be forced to spend some of my precious, hard-earned cash (what little of it there is!) buying a present for someone I really don't like. Call me Scrooge, but that's the way it is.
But that's not the real reason I don't participate. What I really object to is the way certain people use it as a way of trying to embarrass or humiliate their colleagues. I remember one year, the office arrogant arsehole (who thankfully no longer works here - though considering how shit floats in this industry, he's probably a director at Saatchi & Saatchi or in charge of Radio 1 by now) landed the office geek as his draw for the Secret Santa. A quiet lad who had more Star Wars videos than girlfriends. (No, it wasn't me.) The arsehole bought him three porn mags and a box of tissues. Which he opened in front of everybody. Oh ho ho ho. Highly amusing. How. Everyone. Laughed.
I didn't. I thought it was cruel, spiteful and pathetic. Worse still, it was unimaginative. This was probably about 15 years ago. I'd like to think that if something like that happened nowadays, HR would be all over it. I'd like to think that, but I don't have much faith in a department that describes us all as 'resources'. People can be really unpleasant at times, and Secret Santas bring out the worst in us. That's my experience anyway.
The dead are coming back to life in John Ajvide Lindqvist's follow-up to Let The Right One In. Having made vampires both creepy and heart-breaking, the Swedish author now turns his attention to zombies. Rather than the shuffling, brain-eating monstrosities of traditional zombie movie fare though, Lindqvist seems intent on asking what really would happen if the dead suddenly got a little better. How would that affect the recently bereaved? What would the government do? How would any of us cope with the idea that death might no longer be the end?
That's how the novel starts anyway, and the author handles these questions well, introducing a group of believable and sympathetic characters who find their lives suddenly changed and confused by the return of a loved one. But while the reliving we meet here aren't monsters, neither are they entirely their old selves, and it soon becomes apparent that something's not right in the state of Stockholm. That's when things start to get a bit messy. It's like Lindqvist has a bunch of different directions he'd like to take this story in and he can't quite decide between them.
The zombies feed on human emotions. They turn those around them into mind-readers. They are obsessed with taking apart toys and machines to see how they work (probably not a good idea to get them to hold your pet bunny then). They're not really reliving at all, and don't want to be here.
In places, Handling The Undead is an effective chiller. It contains some great horror moments - though ironically, these are the bits that most resemble your standard zombie shockers. Then there's the book's quieter, more literary aspirations of examining how we deal with death, which are thought-provoking, if a little muddled. The author strives for the kind of balance Stephen King achieved in Pet Sematary, but he doesn't really pull it off. Not half as satisfying as Let The Right One In then, but still a writer to keep watching.
Shed Seven are one of those bands the critics will never love. They'll call them Britpop also-rans; safe, mid-table rockers. But not every band can go stratospheric, play stadiums, or change the world. And not every band ought to. Some settle for just keeping going. The fact that Shed Seven keep going and are able to sell out two nights at the Manchester Academy as part of their latest tour is even more impressive when you consider they've done the same thing three years running, and yet haven't recorded or released any new material since 2001.
A devoted fanbase is enough to keep many bands going, but feeding that fanbase, and keeping them from dwindling, usually involves throwing them some new songs every couple of years... though in the case of many bands, those songs are never quite as good as the ones that made them famous. Shed Seven appear to have decided against this. They've got just enough crackers to fill a set, why water that down with past-its-best new stuff? Does that make them a cabaret band? A nostalgia act? Maybe. But for the Shed Heads who gathered in Manchester last night, I doubt that mattered one bit. They came to hear On Standby, Disco Down, Chasing Rainbows, Getting Better and Going For Gold, and they got what they wanted.
I was never a dedicated Shed Head myself, but Britpop was my gigging youth, and I enjoyed the band a lot back then. They were amazing live, and they haven't forgotten how to rock. Lead singer Rick Witter looks and sings better now than he ever did. A great gig is one where you forget your worries and the headaches of your day and escape. In the case of a Shed Seven gig, it's an escape to a world where the Britpop bubble never burst. Where it's always 1996, I'm still only 24, and the future (theirs and mine) is full of opportunity. I should thank them for giving me that again, if only for an hour and a half.
Have they really just been Chasing Rainbows all their life? Maybe. But aren't so many of us doing that. Maybe that's why we still like Shed Seven, because they didn't become idiot cartoon rockstars like Oasis. Maybe by failing, they became a band of the people.