Friday, July 04, 2008
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Random ten
2. Midnight Confessions- The Grass Roots
3. Nightrain- Guns N' Roses
4. Family Tradition- Hank Williams, Jr.
5. Centerfold- J.Geils Band
6. Living In America- James Brown
7. Some Kind Of Wonderful- Joss Stone
8. Man In the Cornershop- The Jam
9. A Girl Like You- Edwyn Collins
10. Black and Gold- Sam Sparro
Bonus-
11. Teenage Kicks- Undertones
12. California Soul- Marlena Shaw
Awwwww
"I'll be shitting me keks."
Cannae wait for the new album.Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
'Albion'- Peter Doherty (live at Glasto)
Monday, June 30, 2008
I love her
Lily Allen, 23-year-old Britpop starlet and Paste 4 to Watch alumna, has reportedly finished recording the tracks for her second album. The project, tentatively titled Stuck On The Naughty Step according to a recent issue of Rolling Stone, is Allen’s follow-up to her 2006 debut, Alright, Still.
via
Several observations
1. Simon's whipping his hair around like he's working the pole at a gentleman's club
2. My God, James has a lot of ink
3. Benny is a damn good drummer
4. Kaz. Is. Just. Going. To. Crap.
5. Put a top on, James. Please, sweetie.
6. The crowd seems to be mad fer it/singing backup/insane and somewhat scary.
I'm ignoring the fact that

Sunday, June 29, 2008
'Warwick Avenue'- Duffy (live at Glasto)
Saturday, June 28, 2008
I'm kind of in love with Hova right now
The crowds booed as a big picture of George Bush appeared on the big screens, as Jay-Z then freestyled about the US government's slow response to Hurricane Katrina's impact New Orleans and its effect on the poorer black communities. He ended his rap with a definitive "fuck Bush".
He then added: "Let's change it up" as a picture of Democratic hopeful Barack Obama appeared, and Jay-Z dived into a version 'Public Service Announcement'.
Ooooo
Nicely done, Mr. Carter.
Before the show started, a montage of clips played, concluding with the recent interview Gallagher gave where he said the Pyramid Stage performance was "not right" for the festival.
Before a huge crowd, the superstar rapper then mimed along to Oasis' huge 1995 hit 'Wonderwall', to huge cheers.
Oh for God's Sake, Amy
The troubled singer's set ended in controversy when she appeared to assault a member of the audience.
And are those cocktail umbrellas in your hair?
They are.
Oh dear.

Update-
She allegedly punched an audience member and got hauled off by security. DURING 'REHAB.' Amy, Amy, Amy...
Friday, June 27, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Random ten
2. I'm Scared- Duffy
3. Going Nowhere- Oasis
4. Bang Bang You're Dead- Dirty Pretty Things
5. Albion- Babyshambles
6. Glitter and Trauma- Biffy Clyro
7. No Distance Left To Run- Blur
8. LDN- Lily Allen
9. When The Sun Goes Down- Arctic Monkeys
10. Koko- Goldfrapp
Bonus-
11. Elephant Stone- The Stone Roses
12. Tumbling Dice- Linda Ronstadt
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
I'm so happy
Oasis will release their next studio album, 'Dig Out Your Soul', on October 6 on their Big Brother label. The album will be preceded by a single, 'The Shock Of The Lightning', on September 29.

Cool
For the first day and a half, the Rossiya made rapid progress, speeding past thin ranks of birch trees that hung like silver curtains in front of barely undulating, featureless green fields. Trackside clumps of pale yellow primroses and newly raked vegetable patches next to congregations of wooden houses testified that spring had arrived west of the Ural mountain range.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Abilities to speak or breathe...
Wee Kyle covering 'Don't Look Back In Anger.' With adorable somewhat-bad-dancing accompaniment.
I've listened to this song, oh THOUSANDS of times, and I have to say, the B-3 is a very nice touch.
As is the darling Scots imp singing it.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
So cool
The Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess, cult author Irvine Welsh, comedian Steve Coogan and members of New Order were amongst the figures who today (June 22) completed a 24-hour "conversation" in memory of the late Manchester impresario, Tony Wilson.
Broadcasters Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie - the former NME writer - were amongst the 24 key speakers over the 24 hours shared their creative expertise and experience with the hand-picked audience.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Friday, June 20, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Random ten
2. There She Goes- Babyshambles
3. Shameless- The Fratellis
4. In The Middle- Sugababes
5. Looking For A New Love- Jody Watley
6. High Fidelity- Elvis Costello
7. Always On My Mind- Ryan Adam and The Cardinals
8. Cool For Cats- Squeeze
9. Memories Of Us- Keith Urban
10. Heartache Tonight- The Eagles
Bonus-
11. Pumping On Your Stereo- Supergrass
12. Oh! Bondage, Up Yours!- X-Ray Spex
Exact quote
"I don't know what that fucker thought he'd accomplish by showing up here."
Seems our friend wasn't the only one who felt that way...
CAN'T. HANDLE. THIS.
PIPEDOWN. WEE KYLE. OASIS. JANIE JONES. THE MAN WHO CAME TO STAY.
BRAIN. MELTING.
The View's Kyle Falconer played a surprise acoustic show in support of Babyshambles at the Brixton Mass venue last night (June 18).
...
Taking the stage at 10:30pm (BST), after being introduced by Babyshambles bassist Drew McConnell, Falconer played an eight-song acoustic set which included an Oasis cover, a new song and hits 'Same Jeans' and 'Superstar Tradesman'.Falconer also played 'Wasted Little DJs', 'Skag Trendy' and a cover of Oasis' 'Don’t Look Back In Anger'.
...
The band kept banter to a minimum and covered 'Janie Jones' by The Clash later in the set, then played 'Sedative' before heading off for a cigarette break.After the break Babyshambles played an amped-up closing set including 'Delivery', 'Pipedown' and 'Fuck Forever', which they closed the show with.
Although, may I point out that noting that Petey was wearing a suit and necklace, is similar to saying incredulously that the Pope is Catholic, bears shit in the woods, et al...
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Please, Jesus,
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
This is so typical
But let me tell you, the Apostolic women are a force to be reckoned with. They're used to preparing food for large groups of people, and I swear, they could teach courses on organization.
Well, they are of mostly German descent. And we all know the Krauts (of whom I am one), can organize. Okay, sorry. Bad joke.
They have a book than contains the land line and cell phone numbers, the email and home addresses of every church member, cross-referenced with what each person is willing and able to do.
They have a phone bank of sorts set up in the church dining room/kitchen. At any given time, there are at least 5 women, very conservatively dressed, hair pulled up in buns, on their cell phones, making sure that everyone has enough food/water/medical supplies out on the levees.
And these women can flat out COOK. The maid-rites I had yesterday? Divine. God smiled upon their makers.
Absolutely broke my heart today. The local Catholics provided the lunch for the 400+ rescue workers today. As we delivered it to the AC church, I made a random comment to one of the women, "Beautiful day we're having, huh?"
She replied, "Oh yes. God has blessed us."
She and her husband lost their house in the flood.
Utterly selfless.
So, that being said, this doesn't surprise me in the least.
This southeastern Iowa town was under water on Monday, but its people didn't give up their flood fight. Dozens of people filled sandbags in the parking lot of Oakville Apostolic Christian Church, with the aid headed south to towns that still face a flooding threat. A long line of trucks dumped sand for the workers, many of them women.
Bethany Frank, 28, said that the water at her farmhouse was up to the roof. "My house is past help, so we're trying to save everybody else's," she said.
"We're helping relatives and family," said Mary Lanz, 42. "We're all related." Oakville didn't flood in 1993, but a levee break north of town turned it into a four-mile wide lake this time.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Story time
A tradition at the local tavern, Murray's White Elephant, was that every year, Coon Dog would ride his mule through the bar. I shit you not.
He'd often stop, from the mule, mind, and ask an attractive young lady- "How'd you like to run off with an old man, a bag full of money and a spotted mule?" Strangely enough, he never had any goers.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
I'd like to write
I'd like to, but my hands and wrists hurt so damned badly, I can't.
Tomorrow, then...
A levee along the Iowa River has broken, flooding the small town of Oakville in southeast Iowa.State emergency operations spokeswoman Tamie Krausman says the levee broke about 4:10 p.m. Thursday. The town of about 400 people was being evacuated. Krausman said no injuries were reported.
Authorities have ordered residents who live on the river side of Highway 99 from their homes in both Louisa and Des Moinescounties. National Guard troops have been summoned for security.
****The river stage at 5 p.m. in Columbus Junction was 31.9 feet. A crest just over 35 feet is expected Monday. In Wapello, the river was at 32.5 feet. A crest of 36.1 feet is expected Monday.Heavy rain was falling this afternoon, though, upriver over Cedar Rapids and Waterloo.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Exactly
I drove three hours to help move some of my family’s stuff, because it’s gone if the levee breaks. We can pretend everything is going to be OK, but we look at the river stage forecasts and become more certain each day something ugly is about to happen.
I remember a fellow in this river town once saying, “The water goes where it wants to go, and there’s not a hell of a lot you can do to stop it.” But people, many of whom live on high ground, pitch in, bless them. They show up with shovels to fill and lug sand-bags, working for hours knowing it might not do a bit of good.
I mean, how do you control a river that wipes out a bridge lined with 20 railroad cars, all of them loaded with rocks? The idea was for the weight to give added strength and stability to the bridge. The train and the bridge in Cedar Rapids never had a chance. The whole works went into the Cedar River.
By noon Thursday, 100 city blocks of Cedar Rapids were under water, along with thousands of people’s homes.
...
The Coralville dam is releasing 20,000 cubic feet of water per second into the Iowa River. It’s heading through the heart of Iowa City and points south. The Cedar Rapids Gazette quoted an expert of some sort who said that at that rate, the water would fill an enclosed Kinnick Stadium in 16 minutes and 42 seconds. Ponder that when you think about the fact that around 40,000 cubic feet of water a second is coming down the Des Moines River from the Saylorville dam into Des Moines.
That presumably would fill the Hawkeye stadium in 8 minutes and 21 seconds.Another expert — there are a lot of experts around these days — said the comparatively small Cedar River is now flowing at a volume equal to the Mississippi River when the Mississippi is at flood stage. Gives some perspective, doesn’t it?
...
At this point, there’s nothing left to do but wait.
At any point
"fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck."
Seriously. At any point.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Random ten
1. Posh Boys- The View
2. The Time Has Come Again- Last Shadow Puppets
3. Balaclava- Arctic Monkeys
4. Life Got Cold- Girls Aloud
5. You Like Me Too Much- The Beatles
6. Run For Your Life- The Beatles
7. Ovary Stripe- Kasabian
8. Delayed Devotion- Duffy
9. She Will Be Loved- Maroon 5
10. Folding Stars- Biffy Clyro
Bonus-
11. You Love Us- Manic Street Preachers
12. Sedative- Babyshambles
Stormy weather
My dad's been down sandbagging for the past three days at Oakville. He's now saying that it's not "if" but "when" the levee is breached. And this is before we got about an inch of rain this evening.
We've been watching a steady stream of grain trucks emerge from the road to the river bottoms. Can't let the grain get flooded out. With the current price of corn? Fuggedaboutit.
Also, the amount of semis bearing livestock is simply amazing. Most animals can swim, but not in flood water. Poor things.
Annnnnd, we had tornado warnings tonight. I was home alone, and managed to scare poor QB (out for cocktails with the girls) to death with texts like-
I'm in the basement with Holden. Funnel cloud just went overhead.
The main problem is, as I've stated before, we live where the Iowa River drains into the Mississippi (which really isn't that bad). However, the Iowa has several rivers that drain into it, and they've all experienced massive amounts of rain. Hence, the problem.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
I have no words,
(items giving me heart failure are in red)
The lineup for the Guardian's intimate Lounge tent at this year's Glastonbury festival has been confirmed today, with Kasabian, Estelle and Los Campesinos! all set to make an appearance.The lounge, which will this year have an intimate "old mansion" theme, is set to host DJ sets from Hercules and the Love Affair and Guilty Pleasures. There will also be performances from Glastonbury stalwart Billy Bragg, Swedish pop star Annie, and Helsinki, the new side project from Babyshambles' bassist Drew McConnell.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Okay, so it's not re-inventing the wheel
Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fratellis...
At times like these,
Washburn, near Waterloo, evacuated after levee breaks
Columbus Junction residents wait, and worry
Flooding Cedar River damages hundreds of homes Charles City
Officials: Flood of 2008 to be worse than Flood of '93
Also, we've just gotten the news that Highway 61 will be closed north of Wapello as of tomorrow night. River is too high- can't guarantee the bridge will hold.
Annnnd, I just got off the phone with my dad. They're evacuating the Iowa/Mississippi river bottoms. He and my uncles are helping some elderly friends move to higher ground.
This is the problem they're dealing with- between Hwy. 99 and the Iowa River in Louisa County, and Hwy. 99 and the Mississippi River in Des Moines county- the land between is all reclaimed from the river some 100 years ago (the rivers join up at New Boston).
Yes, how Dutch of my forefathers. The farming ground is incredibly fertile, but really, really, really farcking vulnerable to flooding.
Again, when it flooded so badly in 1993, the National Guard was down on the bottoms, sandbagging. But not now. We're on our own.
Isn't this a lovely little war?
Monday, June 09, 2008
Sunday, June 08, 2008
HOLY CRAP!!!!
Ahhh, I love it when my rock boys get all fanboy...
But the whole night was set up for the encore. After leaving the stage following 'Monkey Wrench', a clearly emotional Grohl returned to declare, "playing Wembley Stadium is an honour, and if we didn’t take advantage of this opportunity, the greatest fucking night in our band’s lives… for all 86,000 of you motherfuckers, it isn’t gonna be any other show."
The rock legends then joined the Foos for the historic encore. At the end of their stint, Jimmy Page visibly clung on to his guitar after a member of the road crew ran onstage to relieve him of it. The members of the makeshift band then posed arm to arm.
As Page and Jones left the stage before a final encore of 'Best Of You', an ecstatic Grohl shouted "welcome to the greatest fucking day of my life!" The night ended with an extravagant firework display.
Saturday, June 07, 2008
My day
1. Left to go set up a wedding in a tiny town 8 miles to the west of Iowa's Coolest Flower Shop. Notice the sky looks quite ominous. Clouds were a very weird color. Look at the temperature. 86 degrees outside.
2. Get 5 miles out. The sky opens up, and it starts raining cats, dogs, lions, tigers and bears, OH MY! And the odd rhinoceros.
3. Call Mom at the shop to ask if there are any warnings regarding the weather. She didn't think there were any. Look at the temp. 80 degrees.
4. Get to the wee country church. It is now raining the aforementioned animals, plus elephants, wombats and badgers. Sprint in to the church to set up, rather difficult in flip flops. By the time I make it into church, I look like I've taken a lengthy shower with my clothes on. 75 degrees.
5. Drive two blocks to reception site. Add giraffes, monkeys and emus to the list of animals. All the venue's doors are locked.
"FUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKK."
6. Successfully find one unlocked door. I set everything up, and headed back to town, stopping at the grocery store on my way home. The storm that I set up in? Produced tornadoes all over, including one riiiiiiight by my house. No damage, though.
7. Get home. Decide that since I'm already soggy and disgusting, I might as well be sweaty, too.
(I lost my mind and signed up for this earlier in the week. As am hopeless slackass, the training regimen that my marathon-running sister put me on is KILLING ME DEAD).
8. Today is a 3 mile excursion. Get to 1.5 mile marker. Am joyous. Full of pride. I *can* do this.
9. Look up at sky. See sheets of rain beginning to fall about a mile away.
"FUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKK!"
Take off at a dead sprint. Okay, a spastic jog. Terrified walk? Make it to within a half mile of house. Starts raining the giraffes, monkeys and emus-variety of rain.
10. Arrive at house, nearly puking, soaking wet and mildly traumatized by the thunder and lightning. I looked REAL cute.
On a much lighter note, this is the "bar" at the reception. Yes, those are cases of beer. 4 varieties, actually.
Friday, June 06, 2008
My favorite Pauls
JW: It's your 21st album; there are 21 tracks on it. So why's it called 22 Dreams?
PW: You have to hold one back for yourself. You can't give them all away.
PS [misty-eyed]: That's lovely.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Random ten
2. What Became Of The Likely Lads (EP version)- The Libertines
3. There's No Such Thing As A Jaggy Snake- Biffy Clyro
4. Beat Connection- LCD Soundsystem
5. Warwick Avenue- Duffy
6. Dirrty- Christina Aguilera
7. Born To Be My Baby- Bon Jovi
8. Act Naturally- The Beatles
9. Da Doo Ron Ron- The Donnas
10. Just A Girl- No Doubt
Bonus-
11. Away From Here- The Enemy
12. The Show- Girls Aloud
Holy Mary
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Hilarious!
EARLIER this year, over on NME.com, feathercuts were ruffled over Girls Aloud’s B-side to Can’t Speak French, called Hoxton Heroes, in which the Prefab Five criticised scene-chasing indie bands.
The thing is – as arbiters of pop, Popjustice noted - the whore ‘furore’ might have had more meaning had Girls Aloud not already been embraced by the Camden set. But ever since a surf-guitar unexpectedly heralded their debut single, Sound of the Underground, they’ve garnered praise from people who would usually shun a manufactured group: both the Arctic Monkeys and Franz Ferdinand worship the ground that the seemingly perma-sozzled Sarah Harding has just thrown up on.
Monday, June 02, 2008
Am highly amused
'I Believe In A Thing Called Love'- The Darkness
'Living On A Prayer'- Bon Jovi
All hair, all the time...
Yet another wedding
Today in "random"
I looked down, and saw a little boy running away.
That's right, the little fucker came up to me- a complete stranger, mind- and kicked me in the leg. It really fucking hurt.
You might wonder, what was the reaction of his mom, chatting away on her mobile?
"Well, I should be going. He just kicked someone."
I shit you not, that's what she actually said.
I guess this is shaping up to be an assaulted-by-small-children-type of week.
Ooooo, snap!
It may have seemed like an unusual artistic union: Prince covering Radiohead's angst-ridden classic Creep. But when fans, including Radiohead, flocked to YouTube for a glimpse of the Purple One's unique rendition of the song, they found the video, recorded by a fan at a music festival in California, had been taken down at the behest of Prince's litigious record label.
***
Last year Prince threatened to sue thousands of his fans for breach of copyright, forcing three fansites to remove all images, lyrics, and album covers. The artist, who once temporarily changed his name to a symbol, is believed to take a close interest in the use of his image, monitoring websites using his music.Radiohead released their last album, In Rainbows, as a digital download, allowing fans to pay as much as they thought it worth. The Prince video, filmed by fans at the Coachella Valley festival in Indio,
California on April 26, was last night reposted on YouTube.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
R.I.P. Mr. St. Laurent
For fellow-designer Christian Lacroix, the reason for Saint Laurent's success was his astonishing versatility. There had, Lacroix said, been other great designers but none with the same range.
"Chanel, Schiaparelli, Balenciaga and Dior all did extraordinary things. But they worked within a particular style," he explained. "Yves Saint Laurent is much more versatile, like a combination of all of them. I sometimes think he's got the form of Chanel with the opulence of Dior and the wit of Schiaparelli."
Things I love about this clip
2. Mik is as comfortingly stoic as usual
3.
4. Drewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. Upright bass. *purrs*
Saturday, May 31, 2008
TIMMY!
Although the now LA-based Burgess looks like an impostor in his own band, it's almost beautiful to watch him as - arms flapping around -the 41-year-old commands the crowd like an orchestral conductor. During a glorious double whammy of headrushing recent single Oh! Vanity and classic The Only One I Know, it is all too much for one girl, who rushes the stage and is rewarded with a dance with Burgess. For a few moments, they remain deep in conversation. Maybe she is asking, "Where did you get that haircut?"!
Bollywood-inspired
Oh for GOD'S sake
"$25 gets you the MP3s of the new album at midnight of the release date plus access to the Platinum areas of the site, $33 throws in a physical CD and $125 buys you MP3s, CDs, a five LP vinyl and a limited-edition lithograph."













































