Bloody hell, a quiet night in on my lonesome. I have already opened the Hobnobs (chocolateless ones, bah) and had too much cauliflower so now it’s time for the blog rambles about things which are good in the world of geek this week:

Lost is still on the telly and it is shit hot right now. What a vile expression but all the story threads are coming together very nicely indeed. Can’t really say much without spoiling it but this week included characters doing the following things: finally kind of having that picnic, exploding, hanging around outside a school. This is a good thing really and if you’ve given up on it I suggest getting caught up.

Treme is new to the telly that is acquired through nefarious means i.e. it’s just started in America. It’s The Jazz Wire (post-hurricane) and the first episode showed a lot of potential. It has some Wire-y people, John Goodman and the marvellous Melissa Leo who was in Homicide: Life on the Street (which we’ve just started watching on DVD. Again for me but first time for Jamie) so you know it’s got the pedigree, chum.

Also on the telly (both UK and other): Nurse Jackie series 2 is coming along nicely and is very my kind of thing. Not too dark so far this year but then I might be the wrong person to ask as I like a mix of comedy and torment for some reason. United States of Tara is also in its second sesason and also still strong. I’m still watching Heroes on the BBC but am always a few episodes behind as there’s not enough time in the day what with all the DVDs (The Horns of Nimon was time I will never get back) but I’m enjoying it as much as I did when it was a new show. Also watching Pineapple Dance Studios as it’s a marvellously dry look at deluded egomaniacs although last week’s episode where David Van Dayesque odd ‘not gay’ wannabe popstar Andrew Stone met David Van Day (also ‘not gay’) got me all confused. I believe split screen may have been used. Oh and Emmerdale. Yes, really. It knows the science behind making a soap opera that works which is nice.

With the music, I was pleased to see The Melting Ice Caps having another free single on his website and as usual it is bloody lovely. If you like your indie but not a racket one man band sensitive man with a sense of humour music you’ll love it. And so you should. Other musical things that were real money purchases have been the deluxe edition of Here Lies Love (I’ll talk about that one another time) , the album from  Codeine Velvet Club (who I blogged about last week) and some old things made new:

The S’Express Original Soundtrack album is one of my endless “I had it on tape” albums. Still got the original vinyl singles of course but now the album is back on CD with a few extra mixes, some nice photos in the booklet and it sounds great.


Ah, Lonnie Gordon! That album that allegedly never came out (I had most of the 12″s) is so very catchy, I just had to buy it. My first Stock Aitken Waterman album on CD ever in fact, although I did have Mel & Kim on cassette at the time of release. Talking of that, the b-side misx on the 12″ of Respectable is impossible to find on CD or mp3 although similarly named but mostly instrumental versions exist. Damnit.

Love it. Want it on my bloody iPod as I cannot carry my 1993 massive stereo around.

A couple of videos relating to essential new music:

Sia’s new album is coming soon!

So is The Pipettes new album. The single is out and should have arrived in the post but so far no show.

Busy week, inluding the inevitable packing up the office leading into the Big Sales Conference Organised By Me taking place while ‘some men’ moved all the stuff to the new premises. Which I have not seen yet and still have no key for. Whoops. Hmm… I am looking forward to getting in there and sorting it all out and resisted the urge to leave a gift-wrapped poo on a certain lazy liar’s desk before I left. She’s never at it so would not have noticed until Christmas even if I had done my dirty protest. I am a grown up so I thought better of this, as proven by my wearing of a suit on Thursday. No tie of course, so last year.

Unexciting things this week:

Trying to find a copy of issue 4 of Phonogram Singles Club in London and failing.

Sanding down painty lumps in the lounge walls very badly.

A lot of cardboard boxes and parcel tape. I swear I dreamt about this too.

Attempting to watch Funny People but deciding that as there were no funny, just lots of people, and its 4.3 hours running length was a bit long that it may be best to not bother. Damn, Apaptow was one of my big entertainment cheeses in his TV era and the films bug me because of this. If I wanted to watch ugly dumb potty-mouthed men bragging about pussy I would still be managing a Pizza Hut delivery unit.

Exciting things this week:

Sia leaked a song from her 2010 album!

The BNP befriended a Muslim-hating Sikh and the usual tools failed to see the irony.

Daily Mail readers love the now-no-longer-racist party. Ironies.

Patrick Wolf done made a video for that good song:

I liked the new Muse single:

The first part of that Doctor Who animation appeared and it was alright if you like that sort of thing.


I am old skool so I find the CGI-ness a bit creepy, and the characters just look stoopid when running. Animated Who can be great though, see the DVD of The Invasion for an example.

The Sarah Jane Adventures finished and it was overall a good old fun load of nonsense. Really deserves a repeat slot in a more prime time timey wimey zone though as it definitely deserves a wider audience. The first story was the weakest but there were some strong ones this year including a mad wedding episode, Floella Benjamim vs ghosts, the absurd but funny loopy northern Mona Lisa rampage and some good gungeing this week.

Roll on series 4 please. CBBC is so much better than it gets credit for (is it Ed & Oucho December yet?).

It’s another day off work and I have a random extra photo of a woman and an ugly baby in with my photographs that came in the post. I don’t remember meeting them. Damn you, computers! Meanwhile, Husband Jamie has left a massive box in the halway which contains a biodiesel pump. It’s political correctness gone mad, I tell you.

Is it Mothers’ Day yet? I have my nomination for Celebrity Mother Of The Year… but I think she’s dead. Does that matter?

Princess Diana’s mum: So loving, caring and supportive. I wish my mum would call me a slag on the front page of a spoof national newspaper. The Express also reports on weather and nonsensical health ideas, as they do, which is why they are ‘The world’s greatest newspaper’ like they brag on the front cover. Oh that Burrell. Such a rock. And when I say rock I mean prick.

My Album Of The Year (so far) is finally out in ver shoppes…

It’s Sia of course and it’s Some People Have Real Problems. Bloody totally fantastic is what it is, and what you’d expect if you knew what to expect. From her stunning contributions to the 3 Zero 7 albums (so far) and her superb second album (her first one wasn’t all that good to be honest), I have always loved her music. It’s just so very real, if that doesn’t sound totally wanky. The opposite of Britney Spears aka incredibly personal, soulful and heartfelt, she’s going to always be The Woman Who Did The Song At The End Of Six Feet Under but there’s nothing wrong with that. See?

Oh yes.
Not many musicians can make me happy cry/sad cry but damn her, she has the power. Anyway, this album contains the songs Buttons…

and Day Too Soon

…as well as others you won’t have heard yet unless you caught the leak, which was months ago. Beck is lurking about in the background for some of the tracks but no stunt-guest-artisting is needed when you have a bunch of powerful songs like this. Album of the year so far and it’s only 2 weeks into 2008.

Here are some mp3s to hammer home the point even further:
Day Too Soon
Soon We’ll Be Found
Electric Bird

I think that’s enough of a plug now.