sun sun sun

Ah its tropical. 28 degrees. I'm burnt and have eaten my weight in picnic and ice-cream. Whilst not being my favourite season (i miss the chunky knit and tights!), the suns a sweet reminder that the festival season upon us. hurrah!!

I've missed Glasto once again (- and who is that bint doing some of the live coverage on the beeb?!?!) but never fear, there is still time to get involved elsewhere.

Field Day tickets are bought. Probably the most amazing line up of Summer. In particular looking forward to catching Anna Calvi, SBTRKT, James Blake, Wild Beasts, etc etc etc. But for now here's Chad Valley - the current sound of summer:

Also heading to End of the Road again - this year round Mogwai, Laura Marling, The Walkmen and Kurt Vile

And if the budget can stretch, maybe I'd like to hit Green Man and Truck festival as well. Also, I love getting back up to Edinburgh and the Fringe. It's always guaranteed shits and giggles and I have had some of the best nights with a cider beside a big upside down cow.

things old and new

Crave

I remember going to see Sara Kane's Crave for the first time and was pretty much just weeping by the end of A's monologue:

"And I want to play hide-and-seek and give you my clothes and tell you I like your shoes and sit on the steps while you take a bath and massage your neck and kiss your feet and hold your hand and go for a meal and not mind when you eat my food and meet you at Rudy's and talk about the day and type your letters and carry your boxes and laugh at your paranoia and give you tapes you don't listen to and watch great films and watch terrible films and complain about the radio and take pictures of you when you're sleeping and get up to fetch you coffee and bagels and Danish and go to Florent and drink coffee at midnight and have you steal my cigarettes and never be able to find a match and tell you about the the programme I saw the night before and take you to the eye hospital and not laugh at your jokes and want you in the morning but let you sleep for a while and kiss your back and stroke your skin and tell you how much I love your hair your eyes your lips your neck your breasts your arse your and sit on the steps smoking till your neighbour comes home and sit on the steps smoking till you come home and worry when you're late and be amazed when you're early and give you sunflowers and go to your party and dance till I'm black and be sorry when I'm wrong and happy when you forgive me and look at your photos and wish I'd known you forever and hear your voice in my ear and feel your skin on my skin and get scared when you're angry and your eye has gone red and the other eye blue and your hair to the left and your face oriental and tell you you're gorgeous and hug you when you're anxious and hold you when you hurt and want you when I smell you and offend you when I touch you and whimper when I'm next to you and whimper when I'm not and dribble on your breast and smother you in the night and get cold when you take the blanket and hot when you don't and melt when you smile and dissolve when you laugh and not understand why you think I'm rejecting you when I'm not rejecting you and wonder how you could think I'd ever reject you and wonder who you are but accept you anyway and tell you about the tree angel enchanted forest boy who flew across the ocean because he loved you and write poems for you and wonder why you don't believe me and have a feeling so deep I can't find words for it and want to buy you a kitten I'd get jealous of because it would get more attention than me and keep you in bed when you have to go and cry like a baby when you finally do and get rid of the roaches and buy you presents you don't want and take them away again and ask you to marry me and you say no again but keep on asking because though you think I don't mean it I do always have from the first time I asked you and wander the city thinking it's empty without you and want what you want and think I'm losing myself but know I'm safe with you and tell you the worst of me and try to give you the best of me because you don't deserve any less and answer your questions when I'd rather not and tell you the truth when I really don't want to and try to be honest because I know you prefer it and think it's all over but hang on in for just ten more minutes before you throw me out of your life and forget who I am and try to get closer to you because it's a beautiful learning to know you and well worth the effort and speak German to you badly and Hebrew to you worse and make love with you at three in the morning and somehow somehow somehow communicate some of the overwhelming undying overpowering unconditional all-encompassing heart-enriching mind-expanding on-going never-ending love I have for you."

Laundry Day

Sunday is laundry day. And Tesco day. With lack of funds for going out, these have become my favourite activities. Today it was tracked by some Secret Cities:

Grizzly Bear for Blue Valentine

The closing credit montage using this song was a gem.

film calender

I'd like to hit the London screening of this in February, looks set to be completely stunning.

AN ISLAND - 2nd TEASER - Vincent Moon & Efterklang from Rumraket on Vimeo.

I'm just about to go see Blue Valentine this afternoon which I've been looking forward to for a while. Also can't wait for the Cohen brothers remake of True Grit. Carter Burwell's soundtrack sounds promising.

soundtrack of the last decade.

Ah sweet nostalgia. I love how music has always soundtracked the years and can take you right back there. I'm stupidly sentimental with it. When I went back home at Christmas I was nagged into going through my CD collection which has been hoarding space in my parents house for far too long. I ended up posting a lot of stuff off to that music magpie site (which is probably a rip off, but if I didn't they would continue to go unloved in the cupboard, at least this way I made £30) but there was still loads that I couldn't bare to let go of.

I've picked some of my favourites of the last 10 years for nostalgia's sake.

13> Remember being 13 and playing Jimmy Eat World on repeat? I'm not ashamed to admit I still really love the Futures album but in 2001 it was all about Bleed America - loved this song:

14> The White Stripes: I have this vague memory of watching a lot of MTV2 (I think my family had just got Sky about a decade after everyone else) and there was this massive debate about who was better, the White Stripes or The Strokes. It was the season of the 'The' bands. This song and video will remain classic.

15> Ryan Adams. The perfect man. I remember going to see him when he toured the GOLD album and I'll probably remain in love forever. Here he is with the Cardinals.

16> Remember when the OC came out and it was MASSIVE. Sadly enough, I recently re-watched the first season and it was weird to remember what an impact it had on our teen culture (look back to what you were wearing circa 2003 - I'll bet it carries some hilarious attempt at OC style and maybe even a roxy or o'neill branding) and like many teen dramas it had a friggin awesome soundtrack. The Walkmen played lived in the "club" that appeared in like season 2 or 3. Good call.

17> Ah driving - once you finally learned some sort of clutch control, pumping the tunes turned into an even better experience. This was a video I think I had on my bebo and pumping in my clio back in the day (that's right, i said bebo) Reuben - Moving to Blackwater.

18> Brand New - summer 2006. every 18 year old take note.

19> Death Cab got me through first year Uni. I was a rubbish fresher. Screw your foam parties ,£1 bottles of WKD and endless hours of throwing up in the toilets of the union, I'm staying in with Ben Gibbard.

20> Bon Iver. You know how you always get HMV vouchers at Christmas from some relative? They lie discarded compared to the more exciting gifts which get played with on Christmas Day but come a week later, that's when they become the greatest present ever...when you pick up For Emma For Ever Ago randomly off the shelf and think 'I'll give this a go'. Best decision I've ever made.

I'm going to be sneaky and put 2 in for this year, as I can't leave out Six Star Hotel. Local NI band who are up there with the greats. Amazing live and some of the best lyric writing out there.

21> I think we all caught Marling-itis around this time, but I'm gonna go with Cherbourg for this year. I think this was probably around the time I finally ditched whatever crap heap of junk MP3 player I had and gave into an iPod which has been dominated by Cherbourg/Andrew Davie ever since. There's a moment in 'The Mill' where it goes into 'Let Yourself Love' which never fails to send tingles down my spine.

22> The Low Anthem. it wasn't that long ago, so lets not get sentimental quite yet. I'll let the song do that. Beautiful.

23> Time to buy my tartan shopping trolley and slippers, and rest my hip. Its only been a matter of months since I reached the big 2-3, and this has been playing constantly. I can't big up these guys enough. The Mariner's Children.

That was fun. And really difficult to choose.

Laugh

The topic of Richard and Judy came up in the pub the other day. Its quite ridiculous how much they got away with. They will always be an excellent source of comedy gold.

Jedward for Burberry

I saw this a while ago and couldn't believe how good it was! Who knew they could shut up long enough to strike a pose. This is what they should be doing, not cringey travelsupermarket ads. nice one Burberry.

I've also enjoyed Burberry Acoustic's youtube sessions over 2010. Check out this video by the very cute Misty Miller.

Sounds of things

2011 is already looking pretty exciting. The cupboards may be bare, the rent may be late, nights out may not be being had, the salary may continue to make me weep at the end of each month BUT my iPod remains fairly chipper at the prospect of this years playlists. So far, its going to be built around:

• The Mariner's Children. Their 'New Moore Island' EP has been obsessively on repeat since November. The 7-piece alt-folk band's blend of soft folk melody, beautifully layered harmonies and haunting lyrics really hits the spot. Seeing them live, their musicianship is damn impressive, completely silencing a crowd in awe. You will be left with goosebumps.

• Trophy Wife. The new kids on the “Oxford set” block. 'Microlite' tracked 2010 and after touring with Foals, 2011 is likely to see them big. There's something subtle and intelligent about how Trophy Wife have managed to melt their pop disco beats with melancholy vocals and cutely inoffensive guitar. Rythmic beauty to get lost in. Get your feet moving to these guys soon – I recommend getting your tickets to their upcoming tour with Esben and the Witch NOW.

• The Lowly Knights. I had to slip in a nod to the homeland boys. Their third EP, 'Even Keel' was ironically not really on an even keel with a couple of weaker tracks. But they have moments, particularly live, where their bold vocals, soaring orchestration and sole focus on the craft finds moments of real purity. I think they've got something special.

• Lucy Rose. If Jack Steadman gives the gold star, I will always jump on board. And I wasn't disappointed. She's annoyingly young (or its really more that I'm annoyingly old) and annoyingly talented. Her London March gig sold out ridiculously fast and anticipation is growing for her EP. I hope it will live up to the heartfelt and husky tracks we've been tempted by already.

• Dog Is Dead. Heads up, get them now before they appear on the new series of Skins and get ruined by fourteen year olds. I didn't want to include them but they're too good not to. With a little bit of everything fused with youthful longing, be prepared to get hooked.

• Boy and Bear. Australian rock's “hidden gem” apparently, although they're not exactly hidden any more. If you managed to catch them when they were touring, you've probably been playing their folky, sepia-toned indie pop ever since. Quite simply, they make me feel warm and fuzzy.

• Einar Stray. Utter, utter bliss. Exciting use of instruments, orchestration and textures which gives an almost cinematic experience. Go and indulge yourself NOW.

Definitely not comprehensive, but hopefully happy iPod will equal happy mind. More suggestions are most welcome.