I'm starting to feel the effects of what I knew would be a result of not drinking - too little sleep. Going to sleep before 2am is unnatural and an abomination in the eyes of the Lord, but getting 5 hours sleep a night has inflicted cumulative damage upon my person.

I have one unwanted task to do later today, and then all will be bliss and rest for at least 24 hours. That task is showing a prospective flatmate what is currently my room, and by extension the rest of the flat. The advantage of this is that I've been forced to tidy and run a hoover round my room, making it a more pleasant and room place to spend time, especially if there's more than one of you. However, somewhat inevitably given the short notice, I have failed to do the thorough cleansing of the flat in general which I would have ideally liked to do in order to make it respectable. And even though I know that if the person coming round thinks the place is appalling, for whatever reason, then I'll never have to see them ever again, I feel insecure and apprehensive about the prospect of opening up my current home and inviting a perfect stranger to pass judgment.

Maybe I'll just be honest and say "Look, I'm utterly exhausted - if you hate it, just smile and nod and leave now, never to call us". Anything to make it not feel like an exam...

not guilty, y'all got to feel me (or: 'finally, some political content on this site again')

I'm sure I can't be the only one who reconciled myself a while ago to having my politics (not to mention morality/ethics in general) attributed to guilt, motivationally speaking, by right-wing/reactionary assholes. Liberal guilt, white guilt, heterosexual male guilt, yada yada yada. It's never bothered me too much - for one thing, it's one of those stock, instinctive phrases that hardly counts even as rhetoric, so little has it been thought out... As Dan likes to say, it's not an argument, it's an emotional sound effect. I do believe in examining the motivations for one's own beliefs and convictions on a pretty regular basis, and I've done this - done it enough, I think, to know what I'm talking about when I say that guilt is not a serious motivating factor. Awareness of my own complicity/privilege? Sure. That's not the same thing. Apart from anything else, stop trying to fucking psychoanalyse me.

Like I said though, I've got used to hearing this from the expected quarters. What really gets my goat is hearing it from people supposedly "on the same side" as myself - and I know how fucked-up a term/concept that is, but can anyone think of a better one? More specific terms like "left-wing"/"liberal"/"progressive"/"radical" are even less helpful... The point is, I've heard this accusation both from so-called 'moderates' - eg, the claim that ideas such as open borders or the redistribution of wealth are crazy concepts motivated by guilt - and those who consider themselves more radical - eg, a recent claim that certain white men, myself presumably included, were only objecting to a transphobic article to mask our own privilege and sexism (no, I don't quite get the rationale there either).

Obviously, nobody likes having aspersions cast on their motives. But the main reason I object to the term being used here is still the same as when it comes from the right, only more so - it doesn't in itself seem to mean anything. If you think someone is being tactless, or condescending, or a poor ally, or denying someone a voice who needs it more, or even "going to far", then for God's sake say how and why. Don't just bandy about a term which is little more than a substitute for "political correctness gone maaaaad!"

Bit of a rant, I'm afraid, but I have a bee in my bonnet today. More to follow. Maybe.

17. The Detroit Cobras - 'Hey Sailor'

This song gives me the horn, despite having a tune slightly reminiscent of a certain football-related novelty record from last summer. I'm not going to ruin your day by mentioning which one. Best forget I mentioned the resemblance at all, actually. Just gaze at the cover of the latest issue of Careless Talk Costs Lives and think "yeeeeaaaahhh"...


18. The Kills - 'Wait'

Probably The Kills track which sounds least like they want to be either Royal Trux or PJ Harvey. Instead, I think the key influence may be The Velvet Underground. That's what I hear in the "la la la, la la la la" refrain towards the end anyway, and that's what seals this as the band's most essential song in my opinion, and one I always picture people slowdancing to, heads resting on each other's shoulders, at the end of a night. That and the fantastic lyric "write it on the rocks and then go tell me where it is", which has a certain mythic quality. Ah, the pain and the chequered past, the yearning and the impatience - it makes the good stuff all the sweeter.

19. Arthur Argent - 'Hold Your Head Up' (Soulwax remix)

There are other versions of this that are okay, but the Soulwax remix is the one that really hits the spot. The bored, arch female vocal would be played out WERE IT NOT for the fact that in this case it's so clearly a strategy for hiding the heartache and shrugging off the bullies and the bigots. Y'know, the reason I fell in love with this song over the weekend, aside from its actual qualities, was seeing how much of an anthem it so clearly is for atypical girls and boys... Watching them mouth along to the words as the music builds and builds. There's definitely some kind of 'Downtown' / 'I Will Survive' / 'Say A Little Prayer' thing going on.

Don't ever let them know. Don't ever let them know.

3. Zongamin - 'Make Love Not War'

A snappy little burst of surf-guitar energy and mild aggression (but not too much - see title) that I suspect Primal Scream's 'If They Move, Kill 'Em' should have sounded like (not that I dislike that track). I don't have that much else to say about this one, so instead, here's a link to a review of Zongamin's album. It's not the most inspired review I've ever read but it does contain some info that I can't be bothered to paraphrase.

Okay, I have to start mixing up the order of these tracks now to keep going.

2. Royal Trux - 'Waterpark'

This song doesn't fit with almost all of the rest of this CD in that it's just something I wanted to hear that kick happened to have on MP3, rather than something that gets played at It Came From The Sea. I have flux to thank for my Royal Trux obsession - I hadn't heard this track before, but I knew I needed to hear it, just because of the name. Slides and wave machines and wheeeeee.

It's kinda simple and fun and makes me think of big sunglasses and denim and rock festivals (even though I've never been to one - oh, okay, I have, kinda) and inflatable beach balls and Cheap Trick.

Lisa: "Haven't you ever listened to a recording of your own voice on tape?"

Homer: "I prefer to listen to Cheap Trick."

Indeed.

Here we go...

1. The Rapture - 'Out Of The Races & Onto The Tracks'

I became obsessed with this tune after watching the scene in The Rules of Attraction in which Ian Somerhalder's Paul is walking along at the outdoor party, Wicker Man burning away in the background, and gradually starts to shakeshakeshakeit until eventually he's dancing in a manner that borders on the absurd. (The pay-off being that it is absurd - he's winding up the 'straight' guy, Mitchell, who he clearly had a fling with at some point.) I guess I'd also heard the song here and there as well, and that opening call of "get y'self together!" had worked its way into some central part of my brain... Great to finally own a copy. I can scarcely believe the guy's singing "punishment - in higher places!" there at the end, but he really is. Don't know what it means, but in the way that makes the best lyrics so good, I know What It Means.

(And get your mind out of the gutter - this time...)

Compiled with help of nikon "delorean" driver from material intended for use as part of the ICFTS setlist - this is Your Kids Are Gonna Love It, to be amended tomorrow to feature commentary on every single track. No, seriously.

1. The Rapture - 'Out Of The Races & Onto The Tracks'
2. Royal Trux - 'Waterpark'
3. Zongamin - 'Make Love Not War'
4. Console - 'Suck and Run'
5. Goldfrapp - 'Train'
6. Go Home Productions - 'Justin Likes Blondes'
7. The Knife - 'Heartbeats'
8. R2J2/Polyphonic Spree - 'Soldier Girl' (remix)
9. Joe Buddens - 'Focus'
10. Method Man - 'Uh Huh'
11. Lil' Kim - 'The Jump Off'
12. Hot Hot Heat - 'Bandages'
13. A.R.E. Weapons - 'Saigon'
14. Zongamin - 'Tunnel Music'
15. Scissor Sisters - 'Electrobix'
16. The Rapture - 'I Need Your Love'
17. The Detroit Cobras - 'Hey Sailor'
18. The Kills - 'Wait
19. Arthur Argent - 'Hold Your Head Up' (Soulwax remix)

hipsters aren't annoying

I keep having these weekends - the kind that make me think, the odd drunken fuck-up aside (and my recent decision to drastically curtail my alcohol intake ought to sort those out), I really have as close to the life I've always wanted as a person can realistically hope to expect at this stage. I mean, job, money - these things are fucked. But the things that matter - they're looking very good.

I danced a fair bit this weekend: I still don't do enough dancing outside the safety of my own bedroom, but I'm working on it. I also did some dancing hipster voyeurism: perhaps too much. I can't help it - I dig on the single fingerless glove schtick and the ridiculously big belts, the assymetrical haircuts and the dayglo tennis visors. The delicate, skinny boys and the girls who all look like they should be fronting the next unmissably cool band.

Whenever I use words like 'cool' or 'hip' in a positive sense, somebody gets it twisted and goes on an anti-fashion rant. There's nothing I can do about that. Be as anti the negative aspects of fashion as you want - sure, I get the drift - just don't let it lapse into being anti-youth, anti-sex, anti-fun, anti-art. Or you get the slap.

I've decided to write stream of consciousness style rants on this blog until something profound comes out. In case you hadn't figured that out.