Sorcha bought me a harmonica for Christmas

I may have to recruit for a harmonica band.

How do I feel about 2009? Apart from seeing it in with a "Teach Yourself Harmonica" guide for this new instrument, kinda scared. Mainly because 2008 was probably the best year in existence, and who gets two really good years in a row? 

It kinda concerns me and I have no idea why. Probably because of this terrible new haircut.

I'm so kablamo with a MarioKart blog ...

So when I had my Gamecube, there was one game which always was more superior to the others. This one.

You can imagine my joy when back around this time last year, I found out there were plans to make a version of MarioKart for the Wii, I was thrilled - but when the end of April came around I was pretty much penniless. I wasn't penniless the whole year up until yesterday, but yesterday's when I finally got it.

Obviously I haven't finished it yet, although I've pretty much kicked ass on 50cc and unlocked all the cups. But I have obviously realised that, despite the inital getting used to using a steering wheel (I held it the wrong way at first and therefore started shouting "THIS IS A JOKE" at no-one in particular), this game is so much better than its predecessor.

 ESPECIALLY AS THIS HAS A COURSE WITH A WATERFALL. YEAH MAN. Having looked it up on Wikipedia (AND MARIOWIKI. YES, SUCH A THING EXISTS), I

 found that there were courses taken from not just DoubleDash but older games too. Of course, I totally disagree with the choice of course taken from DoubleDash. If I'd made it, here's the four I'd be reviving ...

Wario Colosseum

By far my favourite course of DoubleDash, this two-lap course commences the Special Cup. Filled with twists and turns such as the challenging corkscrew, it's pretty much essential to play with a Baby Kart if you d

on't want to continually fall off. A challenging course, but brilliant to play.

 

Daisy Cruiser

Ultimately the gayest of MarioKart courses, this Flower Cup course takes place on the Daisy Cruiser and really it's its environment which makes it so cool to drive in. Like the ultimate Summer course, Daisy Cruiser manoeuvers you through moving tables and giant booster fans. Yeah, this course is awesome. And gay. The awesomest gay racetrack.

Mushroom City

Mushroom City sees your Kart battling rush hour traffic to get to the end of the course, contending with congested roads, Bob-ombs and a choice of roads and shortcuts. It is the second race in the Star Cup, probably one of the best graphically and the nighttime setting looks pretty awesome. 

Bowser's Castle

The third race in the special cup and by far one of the most difficult, this course is absolute hell for a beginner, even at 50CC. And also? It's fucking awesome. The even more challenging Wii version is based on this one, with the threat of Thwomps throughout. But there is one important factor adding to the scary tension of the course, and that's the music. A villainous scary course, and by far more challenging than Rainbow Road which follows.

So yeah, those are my favourite four MarioKart courses. I can't believe I just wrote a blog about them - and I'll totally write another one too once I've got the hang of the shortcuts and driving the Wii ones.

This stupid countdown is at its end

Here's some random sentences to keep you from seeing who the #1s are on that updates bar. BTW, I HATE MY LAPTOP? Never try and stream Twilight online, because my laptop has paid the price.

How about the new layout btw? Good? Bad? Downright disgraceful? 

So yeah, anyway

SONGS

1. MGMT - Future Reflections

So Bathroom Gurgle and Sweet Dreams Sweet Cheeks were admittedly above this in the first draft of my list, until I decided that they don't really count as 2008 songs. As a result, this has been left as my somewhat surprising favourite song of the year (AND DON'T EVEN START WITH THAT WHOLE "MGMT IS 2007" SHIT YEAH?), the album closer on the refreshing Oracular Spectacular. Can't really think of much in the way of description because it's getting oh so late, but the euphoria of the last minute of the song is exactly why this is so deserving of top place. One of many reasons. Others being that it does sound a bit Arcade Fire-ish at the beginning and basically that it's just fucking beautiful.

Oh, and speaking of MGMT ...

ALBUMS

1. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular

I know, I totally sound like I'm MGMT's bitch even though they are in no way my favourite band. However, there is not one imperfection on this album - it's truely flawless. From the familiar opening intro of Time to Pretend to the beautiful last minute of Future Reflections, they just don't put a foot wrong. And I know a lot of people think a lot of the album's filler, but when the worst song on your album (in my opinion, Electric Feel) is one of their most well-known and loved you know you're doing something right. Whether it be the insanity of 4th Dimensional Transition or the instantly memorable The Handshake, MGMT have provided an album of ten four minute masterpieces and is by far the Funeral of this year. 

I'm guessing the majority of people reading this probably get that Funeral reference, and I can't be arsed explaining so whatevzzz ...

K'bye

TWO

And srsly, how did you not see this one coming?

2. Late of the Pier - Fantasy Black Channel

In the middle of last year, this band came onto my radar after I heard the demo of Space and the Woods somewhere, and after seeing them open for Hadouken! (yeah, I know) last November it only cemented my like for them. This was around the same time I heard Bathroom Gurgle for the very first time, the nu rave Bohemian Rhapsody which rounds out this album.

But let's start from the beginning, as Hot Tent Blues welcomes us into Fantasy Black Channel like a grand entrance into some sort of epic football game which leads into the frantic 80sish combo of Broken and Space and the Woods. The Bears are Coming sounds like the sound effects of some sort of alien computer game mixed with ... well, a backing beat. Yeah, I can't think of a good way to end that simile so just deal with it. And so it continues with what is by far the best indiediscostyleee album of the year, whether it be the sheer tempobusting-ness of Whitesnake, the mindtrip that is Focker or the slower six-minute almost Bowie-esque The Enemy Are The Future. Bathroom Gurgle and hidden track No Time see the album out in a euphoria/comedown contrast.

In fact, the only reason this isn't the number one album of the year is the fact that the majority of the album is reworked demos. Otherwise, it'd definitely be top. And I keep being told that my choice for #1 is from last year anyway. So really, this is kinda top?

THREE

Lazy lazy lazy ...

3. Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now, Youngster

Am I in a minority in finding this album, their debut, so much better than their second? It would appear so, which is like well bad cos it is like YEAHHHH. This whole album thing has been such a fucking chore ... YES THIS ALBUM'S BRILLIANT COS IT HAS SWEET DREAMS SWEET CHEEKS ON IT!

I'm so over this whole countdown, I should've just done it all at the same time ...

FOUR

Yeah, I've been lazy ...

4. Elle Milano - Acres of Dead Space Cadets

JOB SATISFACTION! Elle Milano obviously can't get no more seeing as they're all like split up now and everything - but complete satisfaction they delivered with their first and unfortunately only album. From tough as nails album opener Laughing All The Way To The Plank, Elle Milano rarely put a foot wrong with this - and it really says something when the leading track off the album (Meanwhile, In Hollywood ...) is far worse than all the other tracks, especially when wedged between Plank and the brilliant My Brother, The Astronaut. Elle Milano offer their brilliant perspectives on the music industry (Curiousity Killed The Pop Star) and ... other things. I'm tired. Yeah man . Oh ok, yeah back to the point - The Nightclub is Over. offers a slower side to the album, and a darker song talking about masturbation, and once that's finished Wonderfully Wonderful (All The Time) takes over and makes you insane in the membrane.  This Is How It Ends is kinda shit to end it with. 

The reason this is so low is that even though it is brilliant, the earlier demos and some B-sides would've been so much better on here as well. Topping Believe Your Own Hype. Always as a song was always going to be difficult ... and it hasn't been

OK, whatevzzz.

Here's the rest of the songs ...

mainly cos I can't be arsed continuing with talking about them as well as the albums.

8. Be Your Own Pet - Becky

7. Vampire Weekend - A-Punk

6. Late of the Pier - The Enemy Are The Future

5. Florence and the Machine - Kiss With a Fist

4. Lightspeed Champion - Midnight Surprise

3. Elle Milano - Wonderfully Wonderful (All The Time)

2. MGMT - Time To Pretend 

WHAT IS NUMBER ONE? Who cares, really? I've stopped caring. I need to pack a shitload of stuff anywayss

FIVE

ALBUMS

5. Foals - Antidotes

Has an album this year divided as much opinion? The majority of Bands To Look Out For in 2008 fans featured this band, an Oxford math rock quintet who released their debut album in March. Veering away from their fastpaced abrupt demos, they omitted their biggest song Hummer from the album in the place of slower, dreamier songs filled with cryptic lyrics and complex guitarwork. The French Open opens proceedings with its tale of tennis followed by Cassius, arguably the most radio-friendly song on the album but of course brilliant. Fans were most likely disappointed because of the complete change in pace in the album (and admittedly this album did have to grow on me -the first listen was disappointing), as it's not until the last chorus of Two Steps Twice - the eighth track on the album - that the tempo really begins to speed up again. But that's not to say the rest of the album's filler ... it's a calm riot of an LP which firmly cements Foals as one of the best bands of 2008.

[PHOTO NOT INCLUDED COS I CAN'T BE ARSED]

SONGS

10. Los Campesinos! - All Your Kayfabe Friends

Album-closer on WAB,WAD, this song is a nice slice of twee brilliance most reminiscent of their first album. The last lines are really good.

YEAH, I'M TOTALLY TIRED AND DIDN'T I LIKE WRITE ABOUT THIS SONG LIKE A FEW DAYS AGO? SHEESH.

9. Foals - The French Open

I totally didn't realise I'd be writing about this at the same time as I'd be writing about their album ... so firstly I'd just like to proclaim that a song which incorporates tennis into its lyrics is automatically brilliant.  The opening beat is funky as fuck, before Yannis and co. storm in "UN, PEU, D'AIR SUR LA TERRE! D'AIR SUR LA, D'AIR SUR LA, D'AIR SUR LA TERRE!" This song was just magical at Reading with like a hundred million people shouting it out (although with many different interpretations ... my friend Sorcha's was pretty much "eh eh, eh eh eh ehhhh"). By far the best on the album. 

More tips for next year ...

And to be honest, isn't she on everybody's list?

This year former Lightspeed Champion back-up singer Florence Welch, or as she's more commonly refered Florence and the Machine has slowly been digging her way into the hearts and minds of teenage indie posergirls who've been all like "YEAH MAN, I WAS WELL LISTENING TO FLORENCE YARR, KISS WITH A FIST YARR". Not that I can really talk seeing as I absolutely adore all of her demos. If you haven't been hit by the brilliance that is Kiss WIth a Fist (living under a rock much?), then give her a look on MySpace and listen to Bird Song first - and you'll be hit by the ferocious voice hidden underneath her quirky fashion and sweet exterior.

I can't be bothered linking so yeah...

SIX

Just to get back to the whole point of this whole advent calender thing ...

ALBUMS

6. Los Campesinos! - We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed

Second albums are dangerous territory. You can be like The Long Blondes and wait a while to make a total disappointment of a record - or in the case of this band, you can give it 8 months before releasing your second LP. Yeah, that's what Los Campesinos! did with WAB,WAD in October - very much the Sunday morning to the wild Saturday night of Hold On Now, Youngster. It kicks off with "Ways To Make It Through The Wall" which links beautifully into "Miserabilia" - the middle of the album is much calmer and arguably maturer than that of their debutbefore rounding out the album with the brilliant "All Your Keyfabe Friends". Still the perfect match between pretentious and pop.

AND BEST PACKAGING EVAAA

SONGS

12. Elbow - Grounds for Divorce

"I'VE BEEN WORKING ON A COCKTAIL CALLED GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE ... WHOA-AAh-OOH-OO ..." yeah you get the picture. Mercury Prize winners Elbow served this up, the leading single from their Seldom Seen Kid LP. Admittedly found through Desperate Housewives adverts on e4, it's the middle chorusy bit that makes it for me - a castle-stormer of a riff. It's got soul.

11. Estelle featuring Kanye West - American Boy

IF YOU JUDGE ME FOR THIS I'LL BREAK YOU. Because didn't this song break its way into the heads of everyone in Britain this Easter? It reminds me of the way in which I completely fell in love with "One Thing" by Amerie. A really awesome r'n'b song hidden in the middle of all the awful stuff that genre seems to have produced - it's so perfectly simple and so infectious, you just can't get bored with it. Despite the fact that Estelle appears to have given up on the hip hop style she began with, she's certainly had more success with this - one of the most iconic songs of the year. 

The "would have been number ones" of years past

CAN YOU TELL I TOTALLY CAN'T BE ARSED TO FINISH THIS COUNTDOWN? Thought so.

Which is why I'm writing another filler post about what would have been my number one song of 2006. And it would've been this one ...

Because ohmygod, what a song it is. From the beginning "bam chicka bam chicka boom boom boom" you're hit with a complete monster (heh) of a song which has you in complete moshout mode from start to finish. Emily Haines has never sounded better (or in fact sexier) in this, shouting over the roaring guitar "I fought the war, I fought the war but the war won". This is just the absolute most kickass song in the world, and the video is probably the best of 2006 too with its reminiscience of 60s horror movies. Class. And way better than its MSTRKRFT remix.

SORRY, YOU'RE NOT A WINNER

And this is where all Enter Shikari referencing in this blog will end ...

2008 saw the release of many wonderful albums, and I've already counted down 4 with six moremusucal marvels left to write about. But there are some albums which I really think deserve a mention even though they didn't quite make the cut for my Top 10 of the year.

Early September saw the release of a long-awaited LP from dancefloor fiends Metronomy, who were expected to produce an album full of indie floorfillers. That's probably not the best way to describe Nights Out.

Misleading name aside, the introduction to the album is a slow three-minute drumroll which doesn't exactly inspire a lot of hipswinging - until it launches into The End Of You Too, a terrifyingly good instrumental reminiscient of their previous demos. It then reels through its three fantastic released songs Radio Ladio, should-be classic My Heart Rate Rapid and leading single Heartbreaker.

And then it falls a bit flat. On The Motorway is a speedy instrumental which would probably sound amazing live but feels a tad out of place on the album, followed by Side 2 which is just really dull. Holiday goes on a bit too long, and most recent single A Thing For Me is pretty strong but can't really make up for its surrounding tracks.

Basically, a brilliant first half and a lacklustre second half kept this album out of my Top 10. And with all this being said, it's still an album I listen to often - it was just a bit of a disappointment in the aftermath of their Pip Paine EP boasting brilliant instrumentals such as the seriously brilliant You Could Easily Have Me and Are Mum's Mates

Judge for yourself ...

You Could Easily Have Me

My Heart Rate Rapid 

two thousand and nine

Is next year.

Yes, instead of continuing my countdown today I'm gonna do some kinda regular interruptions about tips for next year, to be continued when I can't be arsed writing loads. There'll be other such treats too.

One band I'm tipping for next year is Kingston post-punk band Tubelord, who've been together for three years and have been playing the London circuit for the majority of that time. What they play is brilliant, although at some points the vocals verge on being a bit whiny. Still, Propeller is brilliant. Just to name one ...

So I'm totally regretting committing to this Advent Calender system

ALBUM

7. Lightspeed Champion - Falling Off The Lavender Bridge

Is it Dev Hynes' fault that indie kids are now wearing lens-free glasses and those koala hat things? This could be likely, as his quirky style choices have been replicated all over the country. This time last year this man was somewhat of an obsession to me, but since then my interest in him and his music has faded somewhat. Still, he made a fantastic debut album full of ambitious folk using every instrument in the book. An introduction into Galaxy of the Lost opens up probably the calmest album musically on my list - but Dev's lyrics offer his somewhat dark perspectives on living in London ("Everyone I Know Is Listening to Crunk"), losing your virginity ("I Could Have Done This Myself"), and being sick in your date's mouth ("Galaxy of the Lost") amongst others. A stellar songwriting achievement.

TRACKS

14. MGMT - The Handshake

A nice little slice of psychadelia, apparently you have to listen to it stoned to love it or something. Whatever, shut up druggies. I could listen to this song for hours if it wasn't surrounded by such other gems on MGMT's album. Don't really have much else to say ... there's an awesome part near the middle where it goes all weird. Probably the most trippy part.

13. Metronomy - The End of You Too

I totally didn't like this at first, seeing as it's such an odd second track following the slow opener on their Nights Out LP. On future listening and when it comes up on random on my media player, it's actually the best song album. Instrumental songs like this seem to be what Metronomy excel in and while it's still not a patch on early demo You Could Easily Have Me, it's brilliant for if you just want something to dance your arse off to. When the synths kick in at 1:20 ... a masterclass in electro. 

EIGHT

ALBUM

8. Blood Red Shoes - Box of Secrets

Last year this delicious pairing of Steven Ansell and Laura-Mary Carter came storming into my heart like being knived in prison (but good ... if such a thing can be good. No? I need to devise better similes) and gave me my personal favourite song of 2007. And boy, did they deliver. Launching into 11 furious mindswelterers with Doesn't Matter Much, a brilliantly produced album completely captures the essence of their live shows. Highlights include the last minute of probably the slowest song This Is Not For You and some kickass harmonising on Take The Weight. Despite the reworking of It's Getting Boring By The Sea, this album mostly hits all my right notes. And from the sounds of their new live stuff, it can only get better ...

SONGS

16. Los Campesinos! - Broken Heartbeats Sound Like Breakbeats

ONE! TWO THREE FOUR! ONE! TWO THREE FOUR! ONE! TWO THREE FOUR! nuh nuh nuh ... uhm yeah OK, so this is completely amazing and probably my highlight of Los Camp!'s live sets and the Hold On Now, Youngster album. SO IMAGINE HOW GUTTED I WAS WHEN THEY NEGLECTED TO PLAY IT IN CARDIFF! Terrible. Gareth has some brilliant delivery in this, and then when it's live and then he and Neil (*swoons*) are all over each other ... faints. Yeah, so I've barely discussed the song - it's really rather good. I will never make it as a music journalist. OK yeah, moving on ...

15. Late of the Pier - Space and the Woods

Intergalactic noise welcoming you in to a monster of a beat irresistible to the feet. I guess with this you could also play a game of "which version is he talking about?" seeing as this year the song was re-released for the third time with a fourth newer version of the song, faster and more dangerous than the previous three. There's a reason this song has taken over indie dancefloors all over the country (and apparently my media library seeing as last.fm lists it as my most played song). Is it because of the weird lyrics? Could be. The face-melting space fury beginning at 2:27? Largely. Perhaps just for the fact it's completely fucking awesome. Yeah, that'll be it.

NINE

Album

9. Johnny Foreigner - Waited Up 'Til It Was Light

Birmingham trio Johnny Foreigner released their debut album in June of this year, delivering 13 three-minute hot buttered crumpets of Brum indie gems. Alexei and Kelly's vocals play off each other in a boy-girl-boy-girl Los Camp!y sort of way, probably one of the reasons the band are compared to LC! - who they also toured with this year - so often. At times some lyrics are completely illegible but it kinda works. At three times, they're probably one of the bands I've seen most this year - once as a support to LC!, once at Reading and then at Cardiff Barfly in September. Highlights include Yes! You Talk Too Fast just generally, and the tune of I Dream of Jeannie to lead into Cranes and Cranes and Cranes and Cranes.

Songs

18. Slow Club - Me and You

Again, I can't really be sure of whether this is 2007 or 2008 but Slow Club are a cool little twosome I discovered this year - so this year they shall be. This song was probably the first I'd heard from them too, and it's just magical twee goodness. The last chorus in particular incorporates a sing-along of sorts which just sounds amazing. The perfect accompaniment to a warm Summer's day

17. Why? - The Hollows

Another discovery I've made this year despite Alopecia being their third LP released in May. An experimental mix of hip hop and indie, The Hollows is haunting from the start as its ... oh fucking hell, whatever. It's good ok? Am I seriously gonna have to write about songs every day? Why did I commit to this? Blaady hell. But yeah, goooood song. With just a slight jingle of pocket change pulsing.

TEN

OMG IT IS OFFICIALLY DECEMBER! 25 days until Christmas when we wake up on Christmas morning to find presents under the tree, have a few mince pies and some wonderful turkey, and in the case of my family celebrate my sister's birthday in the evening (my sister's a total Christmas miracle what with being rather premature and my family's love of Christianity and everything - she's 15 this year).

I don't have an Advent Calender this year until I decide to buy one on the 13th or something. My blog's going to act as one though, with an album of the year and two songs of the year until ... well, the 10th. Whatever, that doesn't matter. 

albums of the yr

10. Be Your Own Pet - Get Awkward

2008 saw the end of riotous Nashville rockers Be Your Own Pet as they decided to call it a day in August last year after 2 LPs and new members. The latter of their two albums, Get Awkward, was released in March of this year and delivered some punk gems - notably the high school homicide tale Becky which borrows riffs from The Locomotion. While fans continue to argue over whether their debut LP was better (I personally think their debut LP was better too), Get Awkward definitely shows some maturity in the way they play and write - and then they remind you that they're still oh so young with 51 second stormer Food Fight and Zombie Graveyard Party, a song about ... well, you do the math.  One thing's for sure, Be Your Own Pet will never release a duff album - this is just awesome if you need something to kick some ass to.

Tracks of The Yr

So I guess this'll be an odd list ... my original top two tracks are actually from last year but were released from albums last year. I didn't know whether to include them or not. I've chosen not to, but I'm gonna write a bit about both of them when I've finished the list just cos they're both so crazy fantastic.

20. White Lies - Death

Smallville adverts made bearable! Late last year White Lies formed from the ashes of Fear of Flying to go from indiebopping Maccabees co-horts to Joy Divisionesque maturer musicmakers. Death, while not being the happiest of song titles (and songs - it's about fear of dying ... I think), doesn't exactly have the most depressing use of guitar in the world and the synths are awesome. Definitely a band to watch for next year. 

19. Late of the Pier - Hot Tent Blues/Broken

Technically this could be cheating seeing as it's two songs, but for me it acts as one song. The opener on the brilliant Fantasy Black Channel album, Hot Tent Blues opens as an 80s glam keyboard introduction meshing into a Death From Above-style ending which leads perfectly into Broken. A song which is simply wonderful, and perhaps with the exclusion of Heartbeat the most 80s influenced song from the album. The guitar solo from 2.55 to 3.19 is probably one of my favourite bits from their album. It also leads beautifully into Space and the Woods, but more about that song in a few days time ... 

Strictly incredible

Len Goodman, you're an absolute dick. 

This is by far the best Paso Doble seen on Strictly ever and words cannot describe how much I really hate Len Goodman as a judge. It's even made me find Austin Healy somewhat appealing.

And that's why I love Strictly.

Sister Act got nothin' on these

Yes, cheerleading nuns. This week The Telegraph reported that a dance troupe made up of monks and nuns were taking Italy by storm after cheering at a basketball game. Said troupe are touring Italian nightclubs and discos to spread the message of Christianity to young Italian people.

Is it wrong that I want someone to adapt this story into a feature film? It could be like Bring It On at a nunnery. They should bring back Gabrielle Union, she's wasted on Ne-Yo videos.

Shoutbox lurking on last.fm ...

One shoutbox in particular has me in stitches - this being the one for Two Doors Down by Mystery Jets.

A few examples:

"the apartment two doors down is mine, so if i had a beautiful drummer girl two doors down i wouldn't just be in love with her, but i would also get the rent payed by her"

"the girl two doros down from me is like 8 =/"

"two doors down > 3 doors down"

Four years ago

Feel free to judge, but y'know I loved it. Athlete were alright. Even that song that's always on Hollyoaks. Those are the only two Athlete songs I know actually.

BEDFORD IS BAD-FORD

This week I upped my Bedford visit count for 2008 to 5. THIS IS FIVE MORE TIMES THAN ONE SHOULD VISIT BEDFORD IN A YEAR. Although my reasons for going were pretty much compulsory (I had to interview some guy about homelessness for a uni assignment), the 45 minute bus journey complete with the pathetic fallacy of doom and gloomy clouds pretty much describes Bedford. Doom and Gloom.

Just a small list of reasons.

- Their Nandos is shit, and gave my dad food poisoning.

- There are only three gigs going on at Esquires for the foreseeable future, and they're all shit.

- There's no inbetween between chavs and emo gothy people. NONE.

- It takes 45 MINUTES TO GET THERE FROM NEWPORT PAGNELL.

- Their Primark mens' section is crap, and there's no Topman.

- It's like home to two of my exes (break-up reasons: one was far too clingy, the other had a vagina)

- THE BUS STATION STINKS OF PISS

- Heightened fear of being mugged

- Where the hell did their Subway go?

No offence to Bedfordians, but it's really far from a grand place. There's a really good Chinese restaurant there though. Small consolation.

I could never drive to Air War by Crystal Castles

Because I would probably end up revving up to 100 mph and that bit where Alice Glass goes "raaah" or "go!" or whatever in the middle and subsequently crash. Also, I can't drive.

Air War is the only Crystal Castles song I like mind, and Alice Glass is vastly overrated for someone who jumps about screaming. Even if she does pour champagne into a crowd (DUNCAN).

IT'S BRITNEY, BITCH

Except it's not Gimme More cos that was like bad Britney. This is back-on-form, fanfuckingtastic, pop comeback of the year Britney.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=gZSLIq6YiRY

And I know, Rosie pretty much did this same blog a few weeks ago. WHICH IS WHY I'M GOING TO DO A BRITNEY COUNTDOWN. If I can remember what songs I like best in rank order.

Uhm yeah, I don't really have much in the way of preference.

But I briefly remember something I wrote about how Britney's songs predict the future when we were coming back from that BBC trip last year. I can't remember most of the reasoning, but here are a few I can recall ...

(You Drive Me) Crazy - Is an explanation needed?

Stronger - Somewhat of an ironic statement at the time, seeing as she wasn't stronger than yesterday. SHE'S TOTALLY SANE NOW THOUGH!!!!111(LEAVEBRITNEYALONE).

Gimme More - ... cookies. Let's face it, she piled on the pounds.

Lucky - Yes Britney is so lucky and a star, but she cries cries cries in her lonely heart(?)

Born To Make You Happy - Because she obviously sung this to K-Fed during their steamy sessions yah?

Oops! I Did It Again - This could mean a number of things, such as when she releases some awful song or when she does something new to her hair, or when she once again displays her awesome motherhood skills or bangs some ugly bloke

Overprotected - "I don't need nobody telling me just what I wanna what I want what what I'm gonna do about my destiny." Srsly Britz? Because at some points you really could've done with a life coach (although not like an evil one played by Famke Janssen in Nip/Tuck)

Toxic - Britney's media addiction! And wasn't she on coke at some point or did I just imagine that?

Me Against The Music - See: Blackout album

I feel like I should be ashamed for being able to quote whole Britney lyrics and stuff. It'd be a lot worse if I was trying to keep up some sort of odd macho persona. Fortunately this is not the case and I think even gayzzz with taste such as myself deserve themselves a crap female solo artist to adore

Ollie Launn's choice - Ms Spears. 'Cos let's face it, she's practically showroom furniture (feel free to gag at my use of pun) in the music industry.

LOOOOOOOVE.

[Don't be surprised if this blog surprisingly disappears and I deny any knowledge of its existence.]

I should probably round up those Reading blogs

by talking about Sunday and how it was good and how I had a Rolo milkshake and how that was really nice but cost me like £4. Or £3. It was around that kinda area. 

However, it's freezing and I can't be arsed so I'm just gonna go by a brief points system and line summing up what I thought. This also depends if I can remember who I actually saw, but fortunately I have this lovely poster to help trigger my festival memoirs.

XX Teens - 6/10. Bit meh for my liking, also spent it rather hungover and one of them just looked like he couldn't be arsed being there.

Cajun Dance Party - 7/10. They were alright, I was tired. The Hill, The View & The Lights remains awesome.

Johnny Foreigner - 9/10. They really are pros when it comes to crowd interaction.

Feeder - 5/10. Really only saw them as an alternative to Pendulum and while Just a Day's an anthem, they've made a loada crap over the years too.

Tenacious D - 9/10. Fucking hilarious, it was just completely awesome to see.

CSS - 7/10. I was tired and feeling ill, and wasn't really up for it when they played their crappy 2nd album stuff. Let's Make Love and Listen To Death From Above was top notch. 

Set of the weekend? Without a doubt, Justice. 

kthxbye I HAVE NO FOOD. BUY IT FOR ME.

The juxtaposition of Monday 27th October, '08

I've been waiting for this album ever since it's been announced. Of course I have. It's Los Camp! They're awesome and that's far from opinion. That's pure unadulterated fact, BUT I DIDN'T PRE-ORDER OR HAVE TIME TO GO INTO HMV AND PICK IT UP. Unfortunate. What is fortunate is that the lovely people at HMV Swansea had it stocked today when I went to get it - and even without going into the musical side of things, it's a marvel. Badges! Random drawing thing! Zine (I particularly liked the bee killing bin)! Bonus DVD thing! (I haven't actually watched this yet but I'm sure it's buff).

And then there's the musical side of things, from brilliant opener "Ways To Make It Through The Wall" to the completely unCampesinos!y "The End of the Asterisk" ending with my personal favourite from the album "All Your Kayfabe Friends" (I may be biased by the line "I seduced your ex-boyfriend to help you get over him, you found him more attractive, it helped you get over me"")

AND THE SMELL OF THE BOX. IT SMELLS DIVINE

So this must automatically make it a great day right?

WRONG.

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=20230081&blogID=444155174

:'( 

Geuinely absolutely fucking shattered. Elle Milano weren't just a band, they were my joint favourite band with ironically enough, LC!. More than anything, I'll remember my phone conversation with them (Sorcha, you are eternally in my debt) which saw me freeze up for decent conversation what with being so awestruck. Their style, their perceptions on reality, their experimentation - their music will always be listened to. And even writing this a day later, I'm upset by the fact that I'll never see them live again and I didn't pay nearly as much attention as I should've the one time I saw them as a support act.

RIP ELLE MILANO (2004-2008)

One day I got bored in a library

It happened in the same week The Long Blondes split up, in which Kate Jackson ironically appeared the next day on Never Mind the Buzzcocks. Citing Dorian's health as the main reason the five-piece are no longer, most fans are holding out for Dorian's recovery - and perhaps a reprieve.

I on the other hand am none too fussed, but two years ago I definitely would've been. I remember a time when Someone to Drive You Home was pretty much all I listened to and the video for Giddy Stratospheres temporarily took over my disco brain.

But new-era Long Blondes? No. I remember the incredible sense of disappointment listening to Century for the first time. That's not the band I spent the last half of 2006 obsessing over. Their Couples album was such a disappointment, and when I saw them live this April there was very little old stuff played. No Giddy Stratospheres, I wasn't taken to them.

Still, if just for the early demos and the first album only it's still a pretty sad event - especially as its due to Dorian and his stroke back in the Summer.

I'm not even nineteen yet.

reading - saturday

The best day. By far. Like Juno, it both started and ended with a chair (start: me falling over a chair, end: passing out on a chair)

Not that we actually saw anyone until around two when we bought our watermelons and then went to see The Subways - and learnt never to take a fruit such as the watermelon to go see The Subways. It will be messy, and you'll look like you've stabbed someone. It was an alright set, but as much as a showman as Billy Lunn tries to be I ended up really quite bored in the middle of it. Their Young for Eternity stuff is by far their strongest, and Rock'n'Roll Queen is a godsend to end with.

And from the Main Stage is a dash over to the NME tent to see Mystery Jets, who are always impressive to watch. Unfortunately we had some twat behind us who decided to bellow over Hideaway, which was really rather unimpressive. Impressive - the fact Blaine and co. still end their sets with Zoo Time after Behind the Bunhouse - probably my two favourite Jets songs.

But if Mystery Jets are experts in psychadelic prog madness, Los Campesinos! are experts in crowd interaction ("it's nice to be in a tent full of people who don't like The Ting Tings" proceeded by a chant of "FUCK YOU TING TINGS!" was by far the highlight of my festival), beautiful (and doomed) lyrics and just generally creating an amazing atmosphere. Broken Heartbeats Sound Like Breakbeats commences the enchanting affair (the fact that this song isn't even in their more recent sets is slowly, but surely, breaking my Scottish little heart) which rattles through their debut album to reach the thrilling climax of Sweet Dreams Sweet Cheeks, of which I remain in awe. Quite literally tearing up the Festival Republic stage, it's the best I've seen them.

After an argument with one of the Year 12 twats camping next to us over how Los Campesinos! are far better than The Enemy (seriously.), a few hours and Strongbows later it's time for Foals to take their place on the NME stage. After shoving a few people to get to the front (I simply followed Sorcha and her arms of steel), we managed to get an amazing spot as  The French Open began. After the girls left one by one to pee, it was me and some random girl who was camped next to us by the time Yannis jumped off the stage in the middle of Two Steps. Twice to play to his public. I touched his shoulder. It was awesome. As was the set, although after they finished the set with Olympic Airways I pretty much charged out of the tent due to the near-combustion of my bladder.

Nice.

Nicer? Justice. Amazing is the understatement of the century, despite having lost everyone in the process but finding myself back in a pretty awesome spot nearish to the front (although having my sunglasses taken by a girl who jumped on my shoulders for about 10 seconds wasn't a fun experience). There are no words to describe how amazing Justice were (which is probably why I'll have trouble making it as a journalist) so I'll just leave it by saying that was probably the greatest musical experience I've witnessed. Sorry Los Camp!

Drinking until The Killers you can imagine just how much I can't particularly remember of this set other than Mr Brightside and All These Things I've Done. Also, I can't be arsed writing anything else. What I remember was good. Uhm yeah, kthxbye

OVERDUE "y Reading woz da best wknd evaaa" BLOG: Friday

Almost two months ago was my first experience of Reading Festival (aside from watching coverage with my neighbour Kelly the year before, and us dancing around and calling it "Sunridgefest" cos it was on Sunridge Close yeah?), and it was a pretty swish weekend. Probably the best weekend ever actually, as where else can you spend five days drunk in a field while watching brilliant music and relaxing in sublime toilets ... ok, maybe not the latter but even the loos couldn't dampen my spirits. 

Friday was the day the majority of our camp got massively overexcited about Rage Against the Machine playing. I wasn't particularly bothered by this, opting instead to get really drunk with some random people in Red Camp who I was never to see again. 

The first band I saw were of course, the lovely Blood Red Shoes. Turning up a few minutes into the set didn't really work to our benefit, and we didn't realise the joys of going in at the side entrance of the tent so we had a pretty shit spot of people standing around doing nothing, and my friend Sorcha and I jumping about like idiots until we realised we looked like complete twats. They premiered a new song which was really rather snazzy, as well as going through the majority of their Box of Secrets album. Awesome stuff.

Opting to miss out on Dizzee/BYOP to go and get pissed for whoever we chose to see next, we ended up chilling out with Strongbows until about 4.30 when I dragged Sorcha and Lucia to come and see Florence and the Machine with me. We ended up missing her, but found ourselves in a good spot at the Festivaln Republic stage to see Esser next. It may just have been being pissed, but he was absolutely brilliant. Why isn't Headlock a huge hit of That's Not My Fucking Name proportions? We shall never know, but he's really one to watch.

In comparison, Ida Maria just doesn't match up. Mainly because you can tell the majority of this crowd are all waiting for one infamous song to be played, but also the rest of her songs are really quite lacklustre and I found myself getting really bored towards the end of her set. I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked's a song which really seems to get people going though, myself included. So it was good to end with.

And about an hour passes between Ida and MGMT, which I think a load of us came in at a few songs into the set. Whichever song Electric Feel was anyway. We were back being sober again, and back near the back again but to the side. The overall opinion on MGMT's set seems to be very divided. I've spoken to people who thought it was amazing, but the overall opinion from us near the back was a disappointed one. There's a massive lack of crowd interaction as well which doesn't seem to help. I imagine in a tiny venue they'd be absolutely amazing - festival, not so much.

The last band I saw were Late of the Pier in the Festival Republic tent, which was ... interesting to say the least. At the time of Reading, "Fantasy Black Channel" had just been released and it was pretty much the only thing I was listening to. I ended up going to see them on my own after three cans of Strongbow and ended up losing one of my favourite items of clothing, my Tartan Converses (lesson learnt), as well as managing to fall over. A very good set however, although it was really odd hearing the songs off the album being played out of order having listened to the album non-stop the past two weeks. They're really at the top of their game though, and definitely a band I need to see again.

But band of the day? Not technically a band, but Esser was just awesome. 

I forgot this existed ...

In this afternoon of incredible boredom, I have realised why it seems to be mostly uni students who have blogs - and that's because when you have absolutely nothing to do, you do something. You write. Write about what you know. What you love. In my case, music. My last post was at the beginning of August about Be Your Own Pet breaking up. Since then they've played their last show, and as someone who went and danced about like a twat I should inform you it was carnage.

I really don't rate Dingwalls as a venue. The stairs leading down to the stage? No, not my cup of tea when you have to climb through people to get back from the loo. And it's kinda impossible to find if you haven't been there before. It'd make a good bar (actually it wouldn't, I remember their lack of Southern Comfort) but as a venue it's just not that good. Especially when you've been used to going to gigs at Soundhaus (*sniff*) for so long. 

I'm on da radiooooooo now. 

You can't call the fire department anymore :'(

Be Your Own Pet have done the unthinkable. They've (prepare yourself) broken up. It was of course through the wonderous technological message known as the MySpace bulletin which informed me of this disastrous event, which read: "To all of our fans, we are sad to bring you the news that our upcoming shows in the UK are going to be our last as a band. We thank you for all your love and support these past few years. It's been a blast, but the time has come for the four of us to go our separate ways."

A blast it's been. I first discovered this foursome while watching MTV2 and being exposed to "Adventure" and since then they've been nothing short of badass perfection.

Top Five BYOP Anthems
5. Zombie Graveyard Party - Featuring on my mixtape as well as the band's second LP "Get Awkward", the lyrics about having a party in a graveyard and the albeit awkward "Life is lame so let me eat your brains" are brilliant.

4. October First Account - The first album's emotional core, Jemina proves she can do the softer sentimental vocals which aren't so apparent on the rest of the album.

3. Fire Department - The riff at the beginning of the song makes it, it's so damn funky - and only a demo.

2. Adventure - The song which started it all, amazing,

1. Becky- Borrowing from Kylie's Locomotion is always gonna be interesting in a song such as this, but cross this over with a tale of high school bitchiness resulting in teenage homicide - it just doesn't get better than this.

I'll see you at Dingwalls for the last ever show.

what the fock?

It seems like I've been waiting years for this album to come out and technically it hasn't yet, but I managed to get hold of the leak of the Late of the Pier album Fantasy Black Channel. What has rather disappointed me at first was the reappearance of old albeit re-recorded stuff such as Random Firl, but the album more than makes up for it.

Highlights include the first two tracks, which are just superbly linked into each other; the complete surprise of finding the new version of Random Firl to have actual lyrics; Focker for its sheer awesomeness - especially with the last 35 seconds; those three deliciously funky minutes they call Mad Dogs and Englishmen and it's surprising last 30 seconds; and the hidden track's a nice little slice.

7/10

screaming for tea

Screaming Tea Party are just one of the bands signed to the Stolen Recordings label, and in my opinion they are by far superior to their labelmates. They're cool as fuck, and Between Air and Air is kind of like Queens of the Stone Age meeting Tiny Masters of Today and dancing (? I vow to never use these NME stylee metaphors from now on).

Listen and love.

Turn up the radio ...

I'd like to think my music taste is rather diverse, but I guess there's like a small field of musical genre (what?) that I'm dancing around in really. I'm not quite sure if you get the picture with how I've described this, but I do and I felt I had to do an arty farty introduction into this mixtape:

http://ollieyaya.muxtape.com/

And yeah, basically here's a track-by-track analysis type thing of why I chose them:

1. Black Eyed Peas - Pump It

This isn't a pisstake, this is actually one of my favourite songs. With Pulp Fiction being one of my favourite films and with The Black Eyed Peas probably being the best kinda r'n'b supergroup out there this song's perfect, whether it be for starting a party or, in this case, a mixtape.

It just went so wrong after My Humps ...

2. Be Your Own Pet - Zombie Graveyard Party

For about a week this was actually the first song on the mixtape before I changed it pretty last-minute. It's probably one of the best songs on Get Awkward, and is pretty much a riot. I love it.

3. Sonic Youth - Sleepin' Around

When it comes to Sonic Youth I tend to like their later stuff such as the Rather Ripped album as opposed to a lot of their earlier stuff. I like the guitar stuff at 1:57 - 2:24 which leads into the rest of it.

Hello, I am obviously not a writer.

4. The Unicorns - Sea Ghost

I love the introduction to this with the pan flute (or at least that's what I interpret it to be) which doesn't really seem to be linked to the rest of the song. On Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone?, it pretty much just seperates this song from Ghost Mountain preceding it. I like the lyrics, and I also think it kinda gets you ready for the slower portion of the mixtape.

5. Blur - Country Sad Ballad Man

Blur's self-titled album is their best in my opinion and I wanted to include a track from it onto this mixtape but I was at a loss on what to pick uploading about eight different songs until I settled on this one. I think it's a good lead-in to track six too ...

6. Florence and the Machine - Hospital Beds

Florence Welch is the future, and it's pretty much a given that she'll be massive. All of her demos are pretty damn good, but this Cold War Kids cover is especially beautiful. She has such a good voice, and when the original version is such a monster of a song it's hard to make a good job of it - she does it flawlessly.

8. Death From Above 1979 - Go Home, Get Down

I love the rhythm of this track and yeah ... that's about it really? I wish these two would reform.

9. Les Savy Fav - Yawn, Yawn, Yawn

When it comes to Les Savy Fav, I can take them or leave them really. Some of their stuff is brilliant, and some of their other stuff doesn't even compare. This is one of their best, the opening chords of it are brilliant. It did however take me a while to realise that the lyric in the chorus is not "the late Dave Beckham".

7. 1990s - You're Supposed To Be My Friend

Bad teeth aside, 1990s are a pretty swell band. I pretty much listened to this non-stop when it was released, so it makes sense that I'd put it on here really. It pretty much gets the tempo back a bit faster

[The reason why this is under here is because it wasn't until I was writing this blog and listening at the same time that I switched them, and then Blogger wouldn't let me copy and paste. Bitches.]

10. Elle Milano - The Great Gulf (Live and Acoustic)

This was on an Elle Milano mixtape I randomly downloaded off another blog, and was just an enchanting discovery. Adam Crisp's voice is impeccable, as is everything by this band - but it's certainly one of Elle's rare reserved songs. It's beautiful.

11. Tubelord - Propeller

One of my most exciting and very recent finds, I think Tubelord are brilliant. This is my favourite song of theirs, and I await more. This is brilliant.

12. White Lies - Death

When it came to choosing the final song, I was pretty much going with at first Hit The Road Jack by Ray Charles until I realised that I'd already used Black Eyed Peas in my mixtape and I kinda wanted to stay as rocky as possible, and be taken seriously. Not that there's anything wrong with Ray Charles, he's a very talented musician. After going with No Doubt's cover of Come On Eileen for a while, I decided I wanted to end on a really kind of epic high - and that's certainly what pretty much everything White Lies are doing is, epic. Especially with this, I eagerly await everything this band do. I think it leaves the mixtape at an ending really. Well yes, cos there aren't any more songs obviously but yeah, ok whatever ...

"THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT"

So, Lee McQueen is Sir Alan's new Apprentice.



OK it was fun watching Alex's charmed run end and he was a bit of a shit the whole season (and Helene wavered between non-existant and bitchy), but in my opinion they clearly launched the superior product in the final task. I would never even consider buying Roulette, whereas I could see Dual selling really well. I think it was nearly universally agreed upon that the Dual name, bottle, campaign, print ad, commercial, dodgy scent and overall presentation was superior to Roulette. However, it seems in SirAlan's world, a functional team trumps all that, despite the crap product they came up with.

I guess it's a matter of preference:
a) A discordant team that ends up pulling together a great product
b) A happy team that puts out a fairly crap product

I think SirAlan was in a bit of a bind because he was clearly expecting Claire and Lee to win; however, because Dual was so much better than Roulette, he had to magify the flaws on team Alex/Helene and diminish those on team Claire/Lee to make the decision credible. Fact is... Roulette was complete crap, and Dual was pretty damn great. I'm sure a simpler and cheaper bottle could have been manufactured that still had the removable piece. Making a little less profit due to higher production costs is far better than making no profit at all because your product won't sell.

Having said all that, I was glad to see Claire in the Final Two and was fully expecting her to win... and for the second year in a row, I completely disagree with the final decision. So that makes it.... three years in a row that the "tough woman" has made the Final Two and lost (for no real good reason). And in my opinion, SirAlan has made the wrong decision twice. Kristina and Claire all should have been the winners of their respective seasons (given the F2s SirAlan chose).

But SirAlan obviously made the wrong decision back when he fired Raef over smarmy Michael. Don't get me wrong, I did think Lee was an incredibly strong and skilled character - but whereas he's been consistent the whole time, Claire has been moulded into the perfect candidate only to be crushed at the last minute.

Regardless, I have nothing to do on a Wednesday night anymore.

oliver timothy launn, est. 1990

Blogging seems to be what everybody's doing, and why not? It's a good idea, to let people have a random insight into your own little world. The reason I haven't created a blog sooner is because I fear I'm not as interesting a person as I would like to think and I will probably end up writing "today I woke up, got out of the bed, went online, had a loo break, came back online, went to sleep, gained 10 stone" (rest assured, that's not a normal day. I do in fact have a life).

So I should probably write a little about myself, one which will be pernament seeing as my "About Me" section on MySpace does tend to change once a week. This is probably due to the fact that I feel like I'm constantly changing, or just because I think people are bored of reading the same old thing.

I'm currently seventeen years old, although I'll be turning 18 in two months time. Then I'll be on the floor of every club in town, seeing as I get drunk way too easily. I can't wait to actually not be turned away from 18+ gigs (it happened once for a Johnny Foreigner gig in March, and I never dared try again) and venture to New Slang (I've heard it's good). I'm gay, and I'd like to think I'm not camp, but I know how my voice sounds to me is different to the way other people hear it. I don't think I act camp though, I consider myself the same as everyone else. I'd like to think I have style, but even I have to admit I've really gone off those tight blue skinnies I bought from Urban Outfitters back in January.

Verdana Size 10 is my favourite font.

If you're going to a gig in Northampton, we may well run into each other at some point. Or we might not, but that's life really isn't it? I miss going to The Soundhaus already, but not so much that I could be arsed going on that Save The Soundhaus march thing that happened. Roadmender's alright I suppose. Not that I'm from Northampton, I reside about half an hour away in Milton Keynes but gigs at The Pitz are mostly terrible. And I'm originally Scottish, which I may well flaunt at you. I'm proud to be Scottish, and to still have the accent after almost living in this country for 10 years. In September I'll hopefully be going to study Public and Media Relations at Swansea University and I can't wait for this next chapter. I'm really interested in a career in the media, either in PR or in journalism. Competitive stuff though.

The journalism thing may well be a challenge, as I have difficulty in writing conclusions.