On the politics front: this thread, if you scroll down a bit, is probably the best one-stop shop to get the full story behind the following image:



Or if you're lazy, here's the short version: Australian po-po minister gets confused and thinks a snogging game is some kind of metaphor* for wanton violence and destruction. Uses this as primary reason for sending in the horses and armoured cops. It is to laugh.

I have long suspected a touch of genius on the part of the ringleader of the Spin The Bottle Bloc, but this is surely proof if proof be need be.

*pronounced 'mett-aff-ah', as Ted Maul would have it...

i still have a flame-gun for the cute, cute, cute ones

New Cat Power album out in February! Yippee!

I saw Cat Power live last night. It was a fantastic gig, and quite a contrast to the other occasion I've seen her play, when the combination of a noisy, chatty crowd, Chan's own utter craziness and the fact that Lift To Experience had just blown everyone's minds made it something of a fiasco - painful, actually, in all the wrong ways. This was a sit-down venue, obviously very much geared towards acoustic music, and the result was that the audience gave Cat Power's very fragile live show the respect it deserved. I also get the impression she may have recently gained more confidence and in turn competence as a live performer, going by some other recent reports of her gigs.

Unfortunately it's hard for me to describe the gig because a lot of it was new material, or at least unfamiliar material (Cat Power has a habit of blending one song into another without pause, sometimes even mixing two songs together simultaneously, or singing snatches of lyrics over other guitar or piano parts). There were several songs I remembered from the previous gig that I know I like - particularly the one that seems to describe a party scene, smashing bottles etc - it's a fond memory, it would seem, and she sings about how if the person she's remembering was here now, they'd be "getting into frisky business" or something like that.

Highlight of the show for me was probably 'Satisfaction' - her version on The Covers Record is famous for omitting the chorus, so brilliantly at the close of the version she played last night she put the chorus back in, complete with mournful "hey hey hey, that's what I say" sung in that aching voice... Awe inspiring.

Up to half my kingdom for a copy of the new album...

vote dukakis!

Brighton's premier DJ-cum-playwright and Mia from Electrelane's future wife, kicking_k has reminded me yet again that I actually don't talk about politics here anything like I should. This is largely because these days it's hard to condense any thoughts on the subject or current events without feeling depressed, powerless, or just bugfuck insanely furious, but I should try.

BEARD FACTOR x10!



This cat right here needs to sit the fuck down, chill, and listen to some Holly Valance or something. Apparently he is "the humble godfather of goth-hop", and I almost think that make him ten kinds of cool just for having the balls to call himself something that preposterous... Actually, no, yeah, all is forgiven for that. If DJ Shadow starts referring to himself as "the dark lord of hip-wave" then I say unto thee, he shall also be saved.

BEARD AMNESTY!

In homage to Flux and others, a list of recommended songs with little or no explanation. Look, fine, most of these are really obvious so it's not so much a recommendation list as a 'soundtrack to my so-called' list...

Missy Elliott: 'Gossip Folks', 'Slide'
Cat Power: 'Satisfaction', 'Metal Heart'
El-P: 'Deep Space 9mm', 'Constellation Funk', 'Truancy'
Eminem: 'Lose Yourself'
Yeah Yeah Yeahs: 'Black Tongue'
Electrelane: 'The Invisible Dog', 'I Want To Be The President'
Choclair: 'Light It Up'
Clipse: 'When The Last Time'
X-Tina (!) and Redman: 'Dirrty'

I will hear no bad said about that last one. It's good to see a song of that quality at the top of the UK charts...

I meant Wednesday. I blame this bloody weather: the winter of endless night - plus the fact that I've been working overtime and so all the days are blurring together... I miss the weekend...