Music 3

Some more music I've been enjoying of late.



MGMT have a good single - the album isn't all that. But 'TIME TO PRETEND' is very nice - out at the end of March. Even my mum likes it (she's getting quite cool in her old age, we're off to see Band Of Horses on Sunday)






I've also been enjoying 'ROCKET' by Working For A Nuclear Free City. They are from Wilmslow (posh bit of Cheshire) where Doves are from (and I grew up in next door Poynton) They are touring at the moment and are great live. Their album 'Businessmen and Ghosts' is really well put together - bit Krauty, bit electronic, some acoustic stuff, some short tracks, some long uns.

and here's 'SEE THESE BONES' from the always excellent Nada Surf. The band have been around for about 10 years but have never really broken through (they're American) despite having a fairly poppy sound (don't let that put you off - they do it brilliantly) Their new album 'The Night' is their 6th, and is very good. Maybe they're just a bit too old now and have missed their chance, hope not.

That's about all I've time for - I'm also liking Team Water Polo, Animal Collective, and the new Grand National single - which I'll stick up next week x

The Wire

I've re-written this 3 times - I still can't get across how much I enjoyed The Wire. I don't want to be that guy that gets excited about a tv show, but when I first saw The Wire in 2006 it genuinely blew my mind.
I don't want to sound all evangelical, but The Wire is truly the best series ever made in television history. At the least it's raised the bar for how television drama is made - at best it's thrilling, gripping, detailed, excellently perfromed by the actors, amazingly directed and produced, the scrpit is 10/10, heck - even the sound recording is mind blowing.

I love it.

The characters have been written with the sort of care and attention I've never seen before - and maybe won't again. I just finished season 5 and the prevailing character that cuts through all 5 series is Omar .

A black gay bounty hunting cowboy - fucking brilliant.

I don't mind the fact that (Sheffield born) Dominic West's performance as McNulty is, in comparison, fairly weak. He's a lynchpin - in the same way the King in a game of chess is actually a bit shit, but clamps the game together.
I think my favourite season (after lying in bed thinking about it for hours) is season 4. Season 2 a close run second. Season 4 pips it because it encompasses all that is great about the program in as far as it has many of the mainstay characters making big moves - where as 2 is more of a kind of off-shoot, albiet a brilliant one - with it's docks setting.
I know Charlie Brooker the (uk) tv pundit has said he wishes he'd never seen it and was watching it for the first time - I can see where he's coming from.

With that in mind I watched it all over again. There's so many layers of story it's hard to absorb everything in one watch anyway. It's like a big cake, a really good well made cake. With drugs, and politics, and guns, and shouting.

It's not hugely emotional, I don't think anyone cries in the whole 5 seasons (actually I think Ziggy might in s2). The men are men (Ziggy's a boy that thought he was a man). Faulty, rubbish getting things wrong, making mistakes kind of men - and I love it all the more for that. There's compassion certainly, Presbo in particular is amazing in season 4.






The comedy is downplayed but excellently done - from Bunks muttering and puking to Clay Davies 'SheeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET'

I'm making it sound blokey - it's not - Greggs is one of the best female characters ever written. Takes no shit - gives no shit. Gets on with being 'good po-lice'


It's hard to write coherantly about something you really love.


So excuse me if that's a load of bollocks.


Night x

The Smiths and Hotdogs

Just got my hands on this ultra rare mix of 'How Soon Is Now' by The Smiths. I think it only came out on the Italian 12" b-side of 'William It Was Really Nothing'

Better production and a different vocal take and arrangement, new bassline and some extra drum parts plus some additional guitars - much better version I think (non Smiths fans nod off)

Morrissey has a new best of LP out that's worth buying. I aint giving it you for nothing though. I'll get in trouble.

I've got a new camera so I took some new pictures. It's a Lumix TZ23

That's all really, I've got some enthusiastic things I wanted to say about ice cream and hotdogs but I haven't the energy right now. So I'll post up actor Christopher Walken's essay on hotdogs and little picture of a delicious one I ate last week.

Christopher Walken on Hotdogs

Do you enjoy eating hot dogs? I hope you won't be put off by my frankness when I tell you that I absolutely love them. In fact, I enjoy no food item more than a freshly-boiled hot dog.
Now, I've done a lot of movies, and it's true that I've worked with quite a few celebrities who did not share this opinion. I'm sorry to say that these people have always angered me. There are two types of people in this world: those who eat hot dogs whenever it is possible to do so, and those who opt to do other things with their free time.
Who do the latter think they are kidding? What pastime could be more rewarding than the consumption of hot dogs? I haven't yet found one, and I don't expect to in my lifetime.
Unlike other foods, hot dogs can be eaten at any time, in any place, and it is not necessary to cook them. Now, I ask you: Why not eat hot dogs? They are delicious. I carry a bag of hot dogs with me wherever I go. I eat them from the bag whenever I get the urge, regardless of the circumstances. When I make a movie, my hot dogs are my co-stars. If, in the middle of a scene, I decide I want to consume a hot dog, I do so. I waste the director's time and thousands of dollars in film stock, but in the end, it is all worth it, because I enjoy eating hot dogs more than I enjoy acting.
This bothers some people. I was supposed to portray Batman, but when Tim Burton learned of my hot dog cravings, he asked Michael Keaton to wear the cape. To this day, I am peeved about this.
When we filmed The Dead Zone, I ate over 800 hot dogs a day. It was necessary. My character needed to come across as intense as possible, and I found the inspiration for that intensity in my intense love for hot dogs. The director, David Cronenberg, said that he would never work with me again. I kept eating hot dogs when the cameras were rolling, and that seemed to bother him. I say fuck him. He doesn't even like hot dogs.
I would like to end by emphasizing once again that I really like to eat hot dogs. If any of you people disagree, I loathe you. I despise you. Not only that, but I also despise all your loved ones. I want to see them torn to pieces by wild dogs. If I ever meet you in person, I'll smash your brains in with a fucking bat. Then we'll see who doesn't like hot dogs.

I took this picture of the hotdog couple. They look so happy - they're going to have a quite a night out.

Happy Valentines day x

Rockin' an Bowlin'

We went to the Rock 'n' Bowl. See what they did?

The sign outside is huge. They know about signs in America (note I didn't use the word 'signage' as it doesn't exist/isn't a real word) I've taken a tonne of pictures of signs since I came here, but have refrained (spared you) from posting them up.

Think about the signs on the shops where you live, in England.

They're shit aren't they?

If in doubt just put loads of lightbulbs up and make em massive.

I liked the carpet at the Rock N Bowl- it reminded me of my mate Jimmy, I don't know why.

Bowling AND cocktails.

Though I opted for a tasty Miller Hi Life - 'The Champagne of Beers' - I wonder what the miserable French think about that.

Malt, barley, hops, and delicious alchohol

Me and Brad did that cool/hilarious joke where you swap glasses.

I ate a nice healthy dinner and bowled like a girl

Ben was a bit shit/drunk - though he beat me

I came last, even 2 girls beat me, I think it's the national sport here and they play a lot more, also, my shoes were a little tight, I think the lanes are narrower than in the UK, and the floor was really slippy, plus the ball weights are all in imperial weights and that gets really confusing.

Here's Camper Van Beethoven's classic 'Take The Skinheads Bowling' from 1985, and HERE is Teenage Fanclub's cover - also really good.

Though Scotch.

Don't say I never give you nuthin for nuthin. Or something. Or other.

Bye now.

PUNX NOT DEAD ETC

I went to see Gallows the other night, a group from England I'm fond of - they were playing at Metro. It wasn't hugely busy and maybe the venue was a little large for them - though it was Super Bowl Sunday AND there was a snowstorm. I took some pictures, drank some beer, then went out till the middle of the night and don't remember getting home (no pics of that thankfully)

Here's lead singer Frank Carter. He also works as a tattoo artist and sometiems works at Steve Byrnes (who does mine) here's Franks tattoos page http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=68437281

...and here's the pics what I done took - Great gig - though I did get a bit squashed, and there was quite a lot of spitting and leaping around into the audience (I didn't take pictures of that)

Here's Frank pulling some American shapes - he's incredibley polite and humble. Punks are funny these days eh - most of them are straight-edge (no smoking drinking or sex - I'm considering it myself) and apart from the spitting and swearing they seemed like a lovely bunch of boys.

and finally here's my Favourite Gallows track 'Kill The Rhythm'

oi!

My Birthday

On my birthday I went for some delicious coal fired pizza with Brad Laura and Common Factor (a techno producer) That card is from my mum. I brought it with me.

During the daytime we went here

and ate these

Mine's the double one with cheese on. I added roughly a jar of pickles. Delicious. It doesn't look like much in the picture. But it's a pretty famous place (world famous according to the t shirts) and is one of the tastiest burgers I've ever eaten.

I've also been getting busy with some hot dogs

Look at this for a rubbish deal

See you later.

THIRTY FIVE

I'm 35 today.
I'm in Chicago staying with my freind Brad, I djed at FiveStar the other night.

it was great fun. The morning after we went for breakfast. There I am at the top perusing the menu.


What shall I get?

I got the blue claw crab cakes with 2 poached eggs and a corn muffin. Very nice it was too.

Being 35 is JUST the same as being 34. I went to buy some face cream from a posh shop to make me look younger. Maybe it's too late though? I got a card from my mum and dad which was really nice. I also spoke to my darling daughter using the magic of the internet.

It's snowing here. Inappropriate footwear.