You know, I so much wanted to be able to say that the new US-made version wasn't a patch on the Swedish one. However, the fact is that it is better in almost every respect. The characters look more like I imagined from the books, the acting is great and the only concession to 'Hollywood' is a minor plot alteration.

So, highly recommended and I look forward to the sequels.

Not what you would call a first date movie though...

I was wondering what people thought of music DVDs. I do have a few of these and find them a bit hit and miss, possibly due to the time investment that they entail. Prompted by the fact that I have, somewhat against my better judgement, picked up two more at Fopp, I've been pondering what makes a good music DVD. My thoughts are below but what do you think and do you have any examples of good (or bad) music DVDs?

Well, it is - just take a look at this snappily titled Optimus Hyper facade in Berlin. Yes, that laboratory smell is me.

Well, this is just plain odd.

Like many others here, I have a soft spot for It's Immaterial, Driving Away from Home hit makers and purveyors of the lost classic album Song.

So I was pleased to find a Facebook page by the band which posted old songs, rarities and tracks from their unreleased third album. Hints were dropped that said album might, at some future date be released. Occasional posts were well received by the fans who'd signed up (200 or so). This has been going on for a year or so. "nice" I thought - good to see they're still interested.

Turns out, it was all an elaborate hoax. It came to the attention of John Campbell of It's Immaterial who promptly pulled the plug. Obviously, I feel like a bit of a fool for having been taken in. However, in my defence, I offer the maxim of "extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof". Had someone said they were Elvis then, obviously, I might have raised a sceptical eyebrow. But when someone claims to be a relatively obscure (if brilliant) band that split up 20 or so years ago and then posts their unreleased tracks, then I would tend to take that at face value. Wrongly, as it turns out.

The question is, "why?". No money has changed hands and although people have been taken in, it's pretty much on the level of "Ha! I told you my car was red and you believed me - but it's actually blue! Stupid!"

What on earth was the point? Any suggestions?

My current benchmark of wrongness is middle-aged men who wear Super-dry t-shirts. I think the reason I find it so jarring isn't just the slight air of oldest swinger in town desperation that hangs over such a combo. It's the fact that they should be old enough to know better than to spend money on over-priced tat.

You may have your own yardstick and it may even be middle-aged men who, when shopping for their children's Christmas, look at the price tags in Super-dry and do an involuntary impression of an H E Bateman cartoon.

In preparation for popping my industrial action cherry tomorrow, I'm thinking of what would make a good soundtrack. So, suggestions please for songs of workers defending their rights. Sir William Bragg is an obvious one but no doubt there are others?

And this time there is tangential involvement from Radiohead and Gorillaz amongst others.

Playing this with a straight bat, here is the chronology.

Last Sunday, the Observer published the tragic story of a little girl with an incurable form of brain cancer:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2011/nov/20/a-family-gripped-by-ca...

It promotes a campaign to raise the £200K needed to send her to the Burzynski Clinic in the US, which claims to have a treatment. Impressively, the family have managed to obtain held from Radiohead and Badly Drawn Boy amongst others.

Next day, the Quackometer blog, raised some questions about the clinic:
http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2011/11/the-false-hope-of-the-burzynski-...

And cue libel threats, as described by the rather good Jack of Kent blog (the threats themselves are a good read):
http://jackofkent.blogspot.com/2011/11/some-libel-silliness.html

My heart goes out to the family of the little girl. I know only too well how they feel. However, I do think that they would be well-advised to ask some critical questions about where their money is going, so matter how difficult it is for them to do so.

This is a continuation of my previous series of emusic.com finds. Same idea - gems unearthed from my monthly foray into the endless labyrinthine corridors of Emusic. Posted largely for my own entertainment but feel free to join in with your own finds.

Latest find of mine (possibly via a Word recommendation) is Allo Darlin', whose debut album is here: http://www.emusic.com/listen/#/album/Allo-Darlin-Allo-Darlin-MP3-Downloa... along with assorted singles.

Sometimes all I want to hear is some breezy, tuneful pop, complete with with winsome female vocals. And, ideally, a uke. Allo Darlin' tick all of those boxes. Love the humour too - Dear Stephen Hawking and Heny Rollins Don't Dance are both a hoot.

Heart is a Drummer is a standout and here they are doing it via the magic of youtube:

The story arc wasn't quite completed, I think, but a good twist and a punchline. And Amy Pond showing her teeth.

Satisfied customer here.

Pentangling, the 3-disc compilation of Pentangle, John Renbourn and Bert Janch, is available from play.com for the ridiculous sum of £2.99.

Listening to it now and finding it rather fabulous.

Comes with some quite good sleeve notes by Colin-somebody-or-other.

I throw down the gauntlet and defy anyone to come up with a better bargain than this...

A Cakes family trait that I'm wondering is shared by others here - the use of a musical phrase or tune to convey a message.

For example, rather than saying "Alas Mrs Cakes, I must once again risk inducing your rodent phobia by informing you that we have some uninvited furry guests. I can assure you that all necessary steps are being taken." I can simply hum a few bars of Lord Rockingham:

Particularly effective if accompanied by a bit of dancing, I find.

Likewise, the query "Well Mr Cakes, how has young Miss Cakes dealt with her maths homework during my sojourn at the gym?" can be concisely answered by a few lines of 'Long shot kick de bucket' - generally those pertaining to "weepin' and a wailin'"

Do you have your own? If so, do tell.

It's summer and it feels like I should be outside, doing stuff.

Instead it is - periodically - chucking it down and I am left to potter about indoors. Currently this entails drinking a nice cup of Earl Grey and looking out of the window at the rain. If I'm honest, I quite like this kind of thing occasionally; that slightly melancholic feeling. It needs a soundtrack, of course.

My first choice for such moments is The Paris Match by the Style Council (Tracey Thorn version) which seems to capture that feeling well.

Any other rainy day suggestions?

Gems from their unreleased 'House for sale' album continue to pop up. First 'Just North of Here' then 'New Moon' and now 'Is it alright between us' (see below). They seem to be active on Facebook - could a full release of their lost masterpiece be on the cards?

Prompted by the recent rockist thread, I wondered what the opposites - the, if you will, Popist - articles of faith would be....

1) Music you can't dance to is every bit as stupid and pointless as poems that don't rhyme.

2) Closely followed by poetry of any sort. Except that Pam Ayres - she's good.

3) There's no such thing as 'intellectual' - only 'pseudo-intellectual'.

4) Music is really just background. Only saddoes actually listen to it.

5) Things are pretty good as they are. And even if they weren't, it's always pointless trying to change anything.

6) And even if it wasn't, politics doesn't belong in music.

7) "Shit band, no fans. Shit band, no fans." sums up everything not in the charts.

8) If something isn't instantly gratifying, it's the very definition of stupidity to persevere with it.

I'll stop there, for now.

I've spent a happy Saturday afternoon pottering about the surface of Mars, courtesy of Google Earth's Mars feature (click the button on the toolbar that looks like Saturn, choose Mars from the drop down list).

Imagine my surprise to stumble across an actual Martian. Well, OK some sort of AI application. You can find it (roughly)here:
40°45'5.80"N 9°27'11.62"W

Look for 'MELIZA'.

That's if you're as easily amused as I am, of course, and after you've taken advantage of all the serious scientific fly-throughs and so on.

Oh, and somebody has found a house (no, not really):