Chindie

Ugh, Disturbed...

Led Zep - Immigrant Song?

If you liked Crow Road, you'll definitely enjoy it. While the Crow Road was all about a disenchanted student and the death of his uncle, this one is more of an adult story, the central character is in his 30s and has been involved in the family business before giving it all up, and it hops back throw his different periods of life, especially his teenage years and the time he was in the business. The 2 books definitely have their similarities but thats not a bad thing in my mind. I wanted to get into his sci fi, picked up the Algebraist and while I found it a slog at times it didn't put me off too much, so I'm hoping for good things from Excession. Not sure if it'll grab me or not, but we'll see.

Came out a couple of years ago, but it is the last of his non sci fi stuff, his next one is out later this year I think. Steep Approach is bloody good read though, my only criticism of it would be it seems to rap up all a bit too quickly. You've got this one running storyline of a love story between the main character and his cousin from when they are teenagers that dominates his life, for one reason or another, and the story of the death of his mother, that become entwined and you spend the entire book wanting to get revelations of what went on, and it all comes out in about 3 pages 10 pages from the end and it all gets conveniently rapped up very abruptly. The ride to the point is brilliant though, the central character is one thats quite easy to empathise with.

Been dying to get back into some more Iain Banks, so bought a few in the last week or so. Read the Steep Approach to Garbadale on the way to and from Stirling, really good read, very reminiscent of the Crow Road which is itself brilliant. Big Scottish family, a central character slightly lost removed or dissatisfied with it, unrequited love and a dark secret at the heart of it all, with some social commentary and a dark wit to it too, brilliant and a real page turner. Currently on Complicity, which again I'm finding to be a great read. Also trying to get into some of his sci-fi stuff, which Excession to follow me finishing Complicity. Banks is rabidly becoming one of my favourite authors, I'll be picking up of all of his straight fiction I think.

Ulrich Schnauss - Shine

NIN - La Mer into Seether - Fmlyhm into Staind - It's Been Awhile (guilty pleasure stuff there...) into Sigur Rós - Ára bátur

Aye Lost Souls probably is better than anything Elbow have done, I'd have to admit... For some reason it's an album I can only really properly listen to of a summer evening, it just seems to fit well to me. Adore tracks like Sea Song and Cedar Room, by far the Doves best album. Still gotta say I prefer Elbow though.

Unless I'm going blind, theres something of the Randy Lerner about you in the pic, Rev.

On song (boom boom!) I think Elbow are the better band, they're the band I listen to more and I think their albums have more of a consistancy to Doves. I've always found with Doves albums that there will a few truly brilliant tracks that evoke an amazing atmosphere, and fit a mood perfectly... and there the rest of the album will slightly pass you by. With Elbow I find that I'll be able to listen to the whole thing and genuinely appreciate each track, probably with a song or 2 I truly can't stand in there somewhere but there will still be some crackers in there too, and again those few truly first rate tracks will perfectly convey a feeling, or an emotion, absolutely brilliantly. I suppose a couple of good example of what I'm trying to say there are, with the Doves, Cedar Room. First heard that song on their set at Glastonbury a few years ago, and it seemed to capture the moment beautifully, and since then I've had times where that song was practically a soundtrack to a moment of my life. Elbow, equally. One Day Like This blarring out at Glasto I think again last year, brilliant, and when listening to a song like Switching Off I can feel the emotion there, the sentiment behind it. But ultimately I think it has to be Elbow for me. When the Doves crack it, they make a 'Life moment anthem' better than Elbow, I think, but Elbow produce the more consistantly enjoyable music.

they've a new album knocking about BOF, I've heard mixed things but mostly seems a slightl change of direction, I'll be tracking it down at some point.

Not that much of a fan of the jazz breakdown that dominates the song, but the signature violin riff (if thats the word) that dominates the opening 2 1/2 minutes is brilliant and I'm sure I've heard it elsewhere but can't think for the life of me where... anyone got any idea?

Right, but think about the players he has got in? I can see more of this coming in near future, Unfortunately Since most of the players in this team are O'Neills now, and we're looking like another top 6 finish, um... his players can't be that bad. Unless there's some unknown force that we're unaware of that has made us do this well.

The Cure - Just Like Heaven (Unplugged) The Cure are a band I don't think I've ever quite got into but feel I should do.

Yes, best man for us by a country mile, current form and problems excepted. I think the poll will find he's supported by a good majority. The dissenters fall into the categories of 'simply more critical' in the main, with the odd one in 'Simply doesn't like themanager and is very vocal about it', which skews the perception of his support.

I suspect our latest member might have something to do with the pub. Mine's born out of needing a username a good few years ago. It's an amalgamation of bits of my name and initials, worked out surprisingly well and it's stuck.

They lack depth. They're a band that knocks out stuff that, if you hear it but aren't really listening to it, sounds quite good. But then you listen to it more closely, and realise that actually it's tripe. Made worse by the fact they clearly think they're the dogs bollocks.

No. The reasons didnt add up and the humanitarian angle was tacked on. There may be positives born of it ( a hopefully friendly hopefully democratic nation that we can scrounge oil off to stop us being so reliant on the Saudis, for example), but that doesn't mean we should have gone in and it doesn't mean it was worth it either.

into

Never got on with Family Guy's humour. It's exceptionally formulaic, and the irreverent cuts and 'whacky' stuff simply isn't funny, to me. The Simpsons has also gone down the pan, I've not really watched a new episode from the past 5 years or so, but they were getting bad even then. During it's height though, it was glorious. Had about 10 seasons maybe where it was brilliant. Therefore Homer wins it by miles for me. Funniest cartoon dad as of right now is easily Stan Marsh. Funniest character in South Park, pretty much any episode featuring him as a main character is brilliant. 'It's ectoplasm!'

Suzi Perry left the Gadget Show?! And Gail Porter... if this were ten years ago you'd be blessed. Stunning.

Metallica - One (S&M) brilliant. Not so great for the hangover, but brilliant.

Love Porcelain, one of my top tracks of all time. And a few of the other singles aren't bad. Sadly a lot of his other stuff doesn't match those highs. But don't really mind him.

Yes. (was there any point of bumping this other than cause trouble?)

Undoubtedly mentioned by me before, but still it's a great song Iron and Wine - Naked As We Came. Going on a bit of a chilled folky binge.