Bands from far away - come to the UK !

The world of the internet has opened up may newer resources for discovering bands. Simply google a few of your favourites and following links can often lead to new band ideas (not via the amazon.co.uk recommendations though, which whilst interesting to one or two degrees generally ends up recommending everyone would like "the killers" and whatever is in the charts that week).

But now I've followed the links, surfed some "MP3 blogs" - blogs like mine that track free download tracks of new bands, such as www.thecatbirdseat.com, read some indie review sites like www.pitchforkrecords.com, seen what others are listening to via their last.Fm profiles and maybe even played with some web2.0 music players such as the computer game like theSixtyOne. And from all this I now have a selection of bands I want to hear more from... but without the required level of fame, they don't want to play in the UK yet... because they are still fairly small bands.

This makes me more aware than usual of the gulf between bands who "have made it" and "are trying to make it". There doesn't appear to be a smooth curve, or gentle steps up those rungs. People have herd mentalities as my girlfriend's father often tells me, and with musical taste it is true. Not that this is a band thing, it helps define our "tribe" when we are young and gives us common interests at work and means we can go to cheap nightclubs and gleefully dance to shameful music, because we all know the songs and can dance to them together. But freeing yourself from the cycle really offers rewards - only then are you really into "music" for music alone, and it's a shocking world of discovering what quality works of music are relatively unheard outside of a few towns, despite the music being wildly more fun, accessible and tuneful than more famous artists of there genre.

But I digress from what was to be a "list post" - bands that should come to the UK, and until then, deserve your support :)

Belguim - Hooverphonic, dEUS
Australia - Howling Bells, Little Birdy
USA - Jonathan Coulton, Over the Rhine

Well, that's all I can think of. But anyone spotting UK gigs by these bands should contract me at the usual address !

Second xmas

Xmas comes but one a year... unless you bugger off around the planet for that special day, and come back a few days afterwards. In which case you get... Second Xmas !!! This joyous occasion was special for Mimi and I as we got to show off our little flat to my family as well as exchange presents for a second time of the year. And of course it's all about what we got other people or what they got us, as all the other pressies had been swapped already.

Let me catch myself there and assure all readers that the joy is definitely in the GIVING and not the receiving. The picture taken here was we full of joy at all the giving I had done, and certainly not just in the receiving of my new awesome Wii game.

Back from the future (+11 GMT)

I'm back from Australia, but must admit the "wonderment" of being on the other side of the world didn't come through as it did with the round the world travels. Mostly this is probably due to us not actually leaving the city of Melbourne - most of the trip was devoted to seeing friends and Mimi's family, and where it wasn't, it was devoted to sitting about doing blissful, sweet nothing (well, playing games on my new PSP, which pretty much equates to the same thing).

It was great meeting the aunts, uncles and cousins who up until know had been merely a character in a couple of anecdotes. It was also particularly nice to meet up with old workmates and friends from my last time over there. And finally it was great to play a lot of Guitar Hero and drink plenty of Aussie beer. I also got a chance to play through all of Half-life : Portal, which I now declare to be the best game made for the PC since, I dunno, Doom ?

So now back at work and pushing through some new years resolutions type stuff. Trying to push back hard on the weight and fitness again - last year got me almost two stone lighter, but those were the two easy stones I think ! Really hoping to battle my way down to 17 stone the start of this year. Fortunatley, my exercise regime has evolved now, such that I have cycling to work (2-3 times a week), the gym (trying for twice a week, but...), yoga on Tuesdays and practice runs at the weekend when Jon and I are both available. Hopefully by the time the 10K run in May comes around, I'll be in a good place.

Along with the yoga, I signed up for a brief creative writing course. Hopefully out of this I can develop a few writing ideas I've had rattling around for a while, and at least "give it a go". The only failure is not trying ;) Simliarly, a stand-up comedy course I finally took is beckoning me to trying out a stand up gig just the once. Not sure I'm advertising that one just yet though.

The Iceman Cameth

Frost made it's unwelcome appearance this morning. I should have known - squirrels were all in hiding, lucky beggars, and the icy blasts of wind have been trying to assail me as I desperately cling to my cycle to work exercise plan. As I left the flat this morning, the
first thing I noticed was that it's no longer cycle shorts weather and the wind was freezing me from the legs up. B*stard ! God
only knows how the rest of my body survived - motion battling the torment of winter's breath!

Still, must battle some of the xmas dinner excesses. And it made for a good counterpoint to my sweetie's poetic take on it all as she undoubtedly shuffled along in 4+ layers to the bus stop. Smart lass :)

Sunshine soon - Australia beckons. One day sooner then expected too - glad I found out yesterday that my flight was Friday night and not Saturday night as assumed for the last few weeks !!! Best get packing...

Making a difference

Sometimes the internet can make you feel empowered, giving you insight, information and a voice in an overcrowded world. Other times it can make it all seem pointless when you realise just how many opinions, fools and unheard petitions there seem to be.

I find myself often jaded to signing online petitions, wondering how much it really changes things. Even voting can feel that way, esp. when in a majority area, and more so when both major parties seem to ignore your concerns and petitions.

That said, there are some movements who do harness the internet to grow there influence, organisations who's message can be so simple and clear that you almost wonder why they even need to exist, as surely their message is obvious ? And one of these in Amnesty with a simple message that torture is wrong. Which is simple to understand and hopefully to agree with. And shocking that we are part of it. In any case, I have unsubscribed as part of a new campaign accompanied by quite brutal video footage called waiting for the guards, showing an actor being subjected to the stress position techniques used by us in the crusade against terror.

Another more heart-warming site that most people must have seen by now is the vocabulary enhancing FreeRice where you can prove or improve your word knowledge as part of a never ending game and earn grains of rice for the UN world food program. I notice their banner still claims 10 grains of rice per correct answer, but it appears that amount has doubled as of today. Go for it...

Amsterdam

Last weekend was the first time Mimi and I got away from London, just the two of us, and went somewhere new together. Well, somewhere new for her, as we headed to Amsterdam, which I have visited a few times before. This time was different for me though, as I was able to take in more of the culture and feel of the city with new travel-widened eyes, as well as using the time to wind down, relax and recharge my batteries somewhat. Previous visits had been a little more hectic, and involved a lot more time in varied coffee establishments rather than seeing the sights ! Needless to say, we got a few photos

Another great part of the trip was to see old travel friends in there local city, and taking advantage of that local knowledge. Sure, the Van Gough museum was great, and we picked up some nice art posters to add to the empty walls of our new house. But just going to nice cafes, chatting about lives and sharing stories together was awesome. And of course, going out a great bar (The Pacific Parc) to dance at until 3am was great - the music was eclectic and I heard a great tune from the previously unknown to me BALKAN BEAT BOX (go to the site and listen to Adir Adirim - really fun tune to dance to).

Batteries somewhat recharged, we have got two more weeks of trying to furnish the flat (another weekend night in IKEA for me !) and get things perfect for the upcoming house warming. This should tie in perfectly with the final day of Movember - which is coming on nicely at the moment. My face isn't enjoying the regular shaves (never did, hence the beard) so I am letting the stubble get a bit TOO long at times, but overall it's a chopper style masterpiece Mo if I say so myself. And I do. Sponsorship and "Mo blog" links should all be below !